Deforestation causing the loss of productive and fertile land is a reoccurring issue ever since humans migrated into the Ewarton area. The areas affected are the communities of Ewarton, Bogwalk and Linstead in the Rio Cobre Watershed. Guy Symes, consultant with The Forest Conservancy, said the whole mountain has no indigenous vegetation left.
Vegetation has been removed for these following uses:

*crop cultivation - Cash crops grown are banana, plantain, yams, cabbage, okra, peppers and tomato. Small cash crops do not offer sufficient roots to hold the soil nor canopy vegetation to slow impact of the rainfall.

*dwellings - The Ewarton area is steadily growing in population. Its present demographics are 13,500+ with over ? of them under 19 years old (statistics provided by Linstead SDC survey). Increased housing when vegetation is removed increases rainfall runoff and produces thinner soils.

*coal production & lumber - Trees cut and used include: pimento, logwood, rock sweetwood, mahogany, cedar, and pine. Persistent cutting of timber for coal and lumber only perpetuates the problem of deforestation and poor soils.

Each of these uses result in unfertile, rocky, unproductive lands on the hillsides. The towns of Ewarton, Bogwalk and Linstead, in the lower watershed, have to deal with clogged streams and land slippage after storms. Continued current uses will only perpetuate these same problems. Not many weeks go by with out seeing smoke on the hillside where slash and burning practices are used. Land users are not well advised on how to mitigate soil loss, nor increase soil fertility and still make a living. TV newscasts report, that Jamaica has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.

Tucker Road and Cassava Pond residents within Ewarton are plagued with flooding during storms. Hurricane Ivan 2004 caused land slippage and flooding on Tucker Road which affected 12 household. Information obtained from Red Cross Assessment. These households have school children who lost clothes and school materials and were set back in their studies.

Our project fits into the GEF Focal Area of Land Degradation because it addresses the issues of woodland management and sustainable farming practices. The project?s goals are to change current use which include slash & burn, lack of soil control measures, and appropriate use of pesticides and fertilizer. It also offers the landowner a viable crop that can be used in addition to the cash crops that are grown. Current delivery of information is ineffective in these areas: nursery management, soil conservation and farming practices. A lack of understanding of environmental concepts perpetuates land degradation.

In the past, reforestation projects have been attempted through Alcan, previous owners of the bauxite industry, although the outcome and effectiveness of such projects are unknown. Ian Gage, civil engineer from Ministry of Water & Housing said that a large part of the problem is the lack of monitoring and project history. A track record of trees lost and replaced is strategic as there is currently no record. No documentation is available for a group like ours to use.

This vulnerable land becomes more depleted with current use. The farmers are living at subsistence levels. Present day practices continue to work against them. Flooding increases for those living in the path of this erosion. Farming is the main livelihood second only to the bauxite industry. Many single mothers? sole income is derived from the sales of produce. Small plots of land are all they have to sustain their families. Better farming practices and growing a variety of marketable crops are needed to break this cycle. Overuse of pesticides, fertilizers, and periodic heavy rain result in soil depletion as well as water pollution in the Rio Cobre Watershed.

The Ewarton Watershed & Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd. in collaboration with Environment Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) is improving vegetative coverage and providing economic opportunity to local landowners. Furthermore, we are changing current behaviour by providing appropriate education. A two-year reforestation pilot project for critical areas on Mt. Diablo has been established to counter the effects of land degradation and improve the overall quality of the watershed at the headwaters of the Rio Cobre. We are asking GEF Small Grants Programme to assist our project, Phase II under your focal area of Land Degradation.

Support from GEF can provide assistance administratively and programmatically. Office equipment provides support for workshop presentations, project monitoring, and reporting capability. Production and distribution of a final manuscript provides stakeholders and other participants the benefit of a model. The funding helps in obtaining a desktop computer, scanner, fax, printer and digital camera. Program funding includes the purchase of additional seedlings that are already thriving in the Caribbean. These trees replace those lost after the initial planting. Seedlings will be used in demonstration plots on specific land chosen for reforestation. We also need funds for stipend labour, volunteer food, transportation, soil, fertilizer, seedling trays and irrigation piping.

Phase #1 funded by Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) is to assess, plot and plant 100 acres+ with trees and agro-forestry in areas that have been logged or burned for coal production and other farming. We are developing a nursery and holding workshops, each workshop having a classroom and field component, on watershed & nursery management. We have a strong component of monitoring and evaluating nearby stream water by sampling before and after plant establishment. Phase #2 will include: a document/thesis on the process of this project that can be shared with other agencies implementing similar initiatives. Five demonstration plots will be built to exhibit sound land husbandry. Plus the cooperative will find additional markets for those in recipient of fruit trees.

The farmers cooperative forged partnerships with The Forest Conservancy, RADA, The Nature Conservancy, The Forestry Department, Peace Corps Jamaica, community groups and area schools to assist in plant material selection and acquisition; nursery management expertise; organization of labour force; identifying areas to be replanted; and organizational expertise. NEPA has provided data on water sampling from 2001 on the Rio Cobre that is used as a baseline for our water quality sampling. The Forestry Department has offered access to lumber trees if soils found in some areas are too thin for fruit trees. Cedar and pine can be used for these conditions. RADA has offered plant lists, # of plants to size of property and nursery management job descriptions. Peace Corps Jamaica?s ?Green Initiative? is focused on watershed management, environmental education and sound agricultural practices. A final document on the reforestation project helps incoming Peace Corps volunteers and their agencies with insight on how to support their projects with land degradation and watershed management issues. This same document will be given to stakeholders in the area and agencies interested in our project.

Agro-forestry products provide economic value to the farmers and landowners. Plant choices determined by market demand and site requirements, take into consideration trees that enhance diversity of fruit. Examples of plants selected: Mango, Naseberry, Avocado, Custard Apple, Sour Sop, Otaheiti Apple, Ackee and possibly Lychee. These fruits have active markets through a company known as Marketing Development Ltd. The Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging the planting of these type crops because of their marketability. Banana and sugar cane have lost ground in the world markets and need replacing. The West Indies offer many crops that are not found in other parts of the world and capitalizing on these species will provide additional resources for landowner?s livelihood. Once the two year project is complete, we can use the nursery to sell plants to other farmers and community members and use as an outdoor learning centre for area schools.