Forest Conservation Fund (FCF) grants will support activities which include forest restoration, implementation of sound natural resource management systems, establishment and maintenance of parks and protected areas, training in conservation management, protection of animal and plant species, research on medicinal uses of tropical forest plants, and development and support of the livelihoods of people and local communities in or near a tropical forest.

The Forest Conservation Agreement makes provision for two types of grants which can be made to recipients from the Fund. These are directly related to the duration of the programme and can be loosely defined in the following manner:

1. Short Term Grants - Grants that govern programmes for periods of three years or less; and
2. Long Term Grants - Grants for programmes over three years in duration.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

Grant income must be used to carry out the following activities within the Priority Sites:

1. Establish, restore, protect and maintain reserves, parks, and protected areas;
2. Develop and implement natural resource management;
3. Implement training programmes to build the capacity of entities involved in conservation efforts;
4. Sustainably use, restore and protect diverse animal and plant species;
5. Research medicinal uses of tropical forest life to treat human health-related concerns; and
6. Develop and support alternate livelihoods of buffer zone communities.

ELIGIBLE ENTITIES

The Entities that are eligible for funding include:

1. Environmental, forestry or conservation NGO's;
2. Local or regional entities active in Jamaica;
3. Individuals; and
4. In exceptional instances the GOJ.

NON-ELIGIBLE ENTITIES

Non-eligible entities include:

1. The Fund Administrator;
2. Persons employed to a member of the Oversight Committee (OC) or an Advisory Committee; and;
3. Any other Person designated by the OC as Non-Eligible.

PRIORITY SITES

Seven Priority Sites have been chosen. These are:

1. Blue and John Crow Mountains NationalPark (Blue Mountain Forest Reserve), adjacent National Water Commission lands, plus buffer areas of unprotected closed broadleaf forest in the Rio Grande, Swift River, Buff Bay, Morant, Yallahs, Hope and Wag Water watersheds
2. Cockpit Country Forest Reserve, plus outlying Forest Reserves, and adjacent areas of closed broadleaf forest
3. Litchfield Matheson's Run and Stepheney-John's Vale Forest Reserves, adjacent Crown lands, outlying Forest Reserves (Bull Head and Mount Diablo) extending into the upper portions of the Rio Minho, Rio Cobre and Rio Bueno/White River watersheds, Crown lands in the Dunn's River watershed, and the Dry Harbour Mountains
4. Inland portion of Negril Protected Area, plus the forested area in and around Dolphin Head Mountains (Retirement, Raglan Mtn., Geneva and Bath Mtn., Quasheba Mtn. and Baulk Pen) and Burnt Savannah
5. Portland Bight Protected Area, Terrestrial portion of the Portland Bight Sustainable Development Area located in the lower Rio Minho and Rio Cobre watersheds
6. [6A & B] Other forest reserves and Crown lands managed by the Forestry Department such as Gourie, Ballintoy Forest Reserve, Hellshire and Lowe River Forest Reserves
7. Spring Vale and Bogue Forest Reserves plus the Upper and lower Black River Morasses

Enquiries and Concept Notes are to be directed to:

Sara Simpson Programme Coordinator
Forest Conservation Fund Environmental Foundation of Jamaica
1b Norwood Avenue
Kingston 5
JAMAICA
Tel: (876) 960-6744
Fax: (876) 920-8999
Email: ssimpson@efj.org.jm

Check the website for information regarding the next call for proposals: http://www.forestry.gov.jm/Doc_File/FCF_CALL/concept_call.html