Minister Doran Reappoints Nature Foundation as Ecosystem Authority
On May 13th, the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, Egbert Doran, signed the continuation of a service level agreement with the Nature Foundation in which the organization is granted the authority to manage the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Sint Maarten and provide related services to the Ministry. Minister Doran and Jan Beaujon, Chairman of the board of the Nature Foundation, signed the agreement during a brief ceremony at the Government Administration Building.
Since 2014, the Nature Foundation has been appointed the Scientific and Management Authority of Sint Maarten, as related to the CITES convention, and as required through the National Ordinance for nature management and protection. As such, the Ministry of VROMI had maintained this service level agreement with the foundation to support the execution of these executive tasks.
Areas of responsibility bestowed upon the foundation through this updated agreement include research and advice, site inspection and enforcement (on matters related to the management of the natural environment), active park management, public outreach, and protection of (endangered) species. Specific tasks in these areas include maintenance of dive moorings, fisheries management, sea turtle nesting and beach monitoring, and providing advice to the government in all matters related to the management of the natural environment, including the impacts of developmental activities.
In addition to the routine tasks and services to be rendered by the Nature Foundation, this agreement includes additional support for the management of invasive species, and more specifically, the management of the invasive vervet monkey. This comes following the results of the foundation?s monkey management project in 2021. The Ministry of VROMI is pleased to maintain this positive working relationship with the Nature Foundation, and looks forward to continued progress towards pursuing the sustainable management of the natural environment.
