Introduction

The following report is meant to offer a description of the current state of the Fond D'Or Bay mangrove ecosystem as we understand it from our two weeks of field research and dialogue with experts and local community members. We aim to provide management recommendations for our sponsor agency, Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas Management (IWCAM-Saint Lucia), especially with regards to its preservation and sustainable use values, which can help direct future plans for the study area, possibly avert some development pressures, and identify ways the Fond D'Or Bay mangrove can be protected and used for sustainable harvest or ecotourism.

Problem Background

The main goal of this project is to determine the ecological, social, and economic values and current uses of the mangrove ecosystem at Fond D'Or Bay, Saint Lucia. This research is borne out of a desire by our main project sponsors, the Saint Lucian authority on Integrating Watershed and Coastal Areas Management (IWCAM) to extend their watershed management from the interior down to the near-shore and coastal areas of the island (following the ridges to reefs concept).

Text Box: Figure 1. Watershed map of Saint Lucia Fond D'Or Watershed (see Figure 1) is on the central eastern coast of St. Lucia, just north of the city of Dennery. It was selected as the location for the IWCAM demonstration project and its various components because of its unique attributes – it is one of the largest watersheds in Saint Lucia, providing waters for residents of the Dennery constituency but faces some difficult water quality challenges.

The mangroves at Fond D'Or Bay are not being actively managed by the state authority that oversees them and face possible risk of development or over-use. Probably due to their general inaccessibility, they have been overlooked until recently.

The most important elements of the problem identified by IWCAM were the need for mapping the area, identifying the species therein, and describing the ecosystem health and ecological integrity of the Fond D'Or Bay mangroves. Other important elements we were charged with exploring was the level and type(s) of uses impacting the mangroves by the local residential, agricultural, and business communities.

Review of literature

Our literature review explored some mangrove ecosystem health valuation frameworks, protocols, indicators and tools currently in use in other Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and throughout the world, broken down into sections on: watershed and wetland management in Saint Lucia and historic and economic uses in the context of Caribbean coastal areas and mangrove ecosystems.

Watershed & Wetland Management in Saint Lucia

One of the main issues that the world is facing today the availability of fresh water and managing the use of water. Many small island nations, such as St. Lucia, need comprehensive management plans for their water resources in order to have water security for the future and to make sure what happens on the island now has less of an impact on that security. St. Lucia has the problem of having a lack of water catchment and natural aquifers, so there is little storage and distribution of freshwater throughout parts of the country. In the rural areas, water scarcity during the dry season has reached critical capacity (Ministry of Physical Development Environment and Housing, 2004). Water quality is also becoming more of a problem due to higher rates of erosion and sedimentation from agricultural and tourism land-use practices as well as improper waste water discharge (Ministry of Physical Development Environment and Housing, 2004).

One way to manage watersheds is to involve education, legislation, physical management, the use of constructed wetlands, and the use of other filtration systems for waterways. Education is geared towards informing the communities impacted by water mismanagement and those who may practice unsustainable land use about the issues at hand and to get a dialogue started between all the stakeholders involved. Legislation can go as far as penalizing those who contribute to degradation of water quality and set standards for what are appropriate land use methods as well as designate protected areas. One integrated method is using wetlands as natural water filtration and retention by creating new wetlands or helping existing ones grow.

The maintaining of coastal mangroves and wetlands is important to maintaining water quality. Mangroves are forested areas along the coast that are comprised of species that are adapted to salt water conditions and act as an in-between area for saltwater and freshwater aquatic species. Common tree species are the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) that provide intricate root systems in the water that provide habitat for many types of fish and crustacean species. Many juvenile stages of fish develop in mangroves before moving out into the ocean. The root systems also filter excessive nutrients and silt from draining into the ocean when they are at river mouths, hold onto soil to prevent erosion of coastlines, especially during hurricanes or tropical storms (FAO 1998). Many bird species also use mangroves for habitat, including several ibis species, mangrove warblers (Dendroica petechia bryanti), bicolored conebill (Conirostrum bicolor), various gulls and terns, and many others. Sustainable coastal area management is extremely important ecologically for wildlife habitat, maintaining water quality, and flood control. Most of these coastal mangroves are being lost at a fast rate due to development on the coast or due to unsustainable harvesting practices. One thing that is important is that these coastal mangroves are maintained, monitored, and protected.

The mangrove that the Integrating Watershed and Coastal Area Management (IWCAM ) Project wants assessed is the Fond D’Or Bay mangrove. The Fond D'Or watershed is the second largest in St. Lucia comprising 10,230 acres (MAFF 2009). The dominant mangrove type and communities are estuarine Rhizophora at a river mouth and basin Rhizophora occupying depressions that aren’t directly connected to the sea (Lacerda, 1993). The Fond D’Or mangrove is approximately 2.5 hectares in size and contains the tree species Dragons Blood Tree (Pterocarpus officinalis), which is an uncommon tree prized for its dark wood and dye that can be made from the bark (WAC 2008). The objective that the IWCAM wants to achieve is to determine the types of species and abundance in the Fond D’Or mangrove for possible preservation uses and determine how the mangrove impacts water quality in the area.

Historical & Economic Uses of the Fond D'Or Mangrove

As described above, mangroves provide important ecosystem services that sustain land-based communities and aquatic systems, while also improving and maintaining livelihoods for human use. In Saint Lucia, one mangrove in particular on the Mankoté peninsula, has an interesting history of use for charcoal production, concealment of fighter planes and even some agriculture (1998, Geoghegan).

The Fond D'Or mangrove has suffered little direct impacts, although they have likely followed the same national trends that show a slight decrease in forested land areas, which is also mimicked throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (FAO, 2005). According to an interview with members of the IWCAM, the study area has likely experienced some limited collection pressure of saplings and small trees for use as poles to support agricultural crops like yams and is the site of local crabbing expeditions (pers. comm., October 2009).

Fond D'Or Bay Mangroves Project Concept

The project design approach selected was based on what was known about the ecological and socio-historical context of the Fond D'Or mangroves, which have in recent years been largely overlooked by it's managing authorities, primarily the Department of Fisheries and the Crown Lands Department in MAFF. An alternative to this study could be an estimation and extrapolation of value based on assessments conducted elsewhere on the island or throughout the Caribbean, but this approach provides a much less reliable indication of the place at hand and does nothing to incorporate the needs and desires of the local stakeholders.

Previous University of Vermont Student Work on Watershed Management

The current study builds upon previous partnerships between service-learning students from the University of Vermont and IWCAM, all of which aim to demonstrate effective and sustainable techniques for watershed management. During the first visit of University students to Saint Lucia (academic year 2004-2005), students explored watershed concepts alongside partners in the Saint Lucian Water and Sewage Company (WASCO), the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF). The following year, students in the course surveyed residents in contingent valuation methodology to determine the value in employing watershed management practices where the aim is in protecting water quality via best land practices of upstream forests. In from 2007-2009 two projects centered on watershed management, one working specifically on the construction of a waste water treatment system known as a constructed wetland and conducting a watershed level economic analysis through community surveys (in both instances, the University partnered with IWCAM). The current year's project brings the work from “ridges to reefs”, as the watershed management slogan goes, integrating lessons learned from previous projects.

Objectives and Methods

Until recently, the Fond D’Or Bay mangroves have not been looked at specifically in terms of their biological health and their use to the surrounding communities. Our task in this collaboration was to see how locals use the area and to determine if there were any indications that the mangrove is in danger of being unduly negatively impacted. We were also interested in understanding what effects increased disturbances and/or unsustainable disturbances could have on the surrounding natural and working landscape and in the lives of community stakeholders.

We conducted a landscape analysis of the area, keeping a careful eye for what natural communities were present, preservation of biodiversity, conflicting land uses and development pressures, sustainable use for locals and ecotourism ventures, and indicators of the status of the ecosystem. For this, we used several standard water quality and forest health assessment measurements, which are discussed below and interviewed several key-informant community members which represented the major local stakeholders. We will be submitting this work for review by the local experts to continue the process.

In consultation with these experts and through literature review of publications in the field of mangrove ecology and management, we hope to offer some useful insights on this small but rich study plot.

Objective 1: to assess the health status of the mangrove and its ecosystem functions:

◦ This included mapping by walking the perimeter of the mangrove and taking Global Positioning System (GPS) points of:

▪ edges and transition areas

▪ natural communities

▪ waterways

▪ trails and other significant landscape features

◦ To determine the biodiversity, we walked through and around the mangrove in sections, completing two transects, each with two plots we did:

▪ counts of trees (defined as woody species with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of > 5cm) and regeneration (woody species with a DBH of < 5cm).

▪ Tree identification

▪ Tree height (using a Hager altimeter field tool)

▪ field observations

◦ Water quality tests at three points along the river (at its mouth, at a midpoint within the mangrove community and beyond the mangrove extent, as it transitions into marshland and farming areas). The tests, which were administered three times at each location, included:

▪ temperature

▪ turbidity

▪ dissolved oxygen

▪ depth

▪ pH

▪ alkalinity

▪ nutrient loading (phosphates and nitrates), and

▪ bacterial content (e. coli and general coliform)

Objective 2 was to see how the mangrove was being used by the local community members

· determine is any harmful practices were being done.

· to understand if any members of the community were relying on the mangroves for subsistence use.

· Identify sustainable use guidelines that could be shared

· provide suggestions for educational and research opportunities being provided or possible of the site

· promote community engagement in the mangroves to influence stakeholders towards more sustainable practices

· identify opportunities for other uses, such as ecotourism

The Desired Ends

The project's main objective is to live out the mission of our sponsor in integrating watershed and coastal areas management, particularly with sustainability in mind. The project also addresses the Millennium Development Goals of ensuring environmental sustainability (#7) through the management and policy implications of the study and possibly to develop a global partnership for development (#8) by creating a model for sustainable management that can be used by conservationists and land managers working on similar mangrove properties.

Results and implications

Figure 2. Map of mangrove boundaries

As seen in Figure 2, the study are lies on both sides of the Fond D'Or river, in the ½ kilometer or so as it drains into the beach. An outline of the mangroves, as encompassed on foot and recorded with the aid of a GPS field tool, is shown in yellow, with some roads shown in black (these become less accessible by car as you get closer to the wetlands).

The southern part of the mangrove is accessible by motor vehicles in two places, both of which are gated. The back gate is considered a “VIP” entrance, by some (being the access point for the parking behind the stage area used for concerts during JazzFest) and the other is up the road at the main entrance to the Fond D'Or Natural Heritage Site.

There is a drainage ditch that follows the VIP parking area that leads into a large grassy area on the south bank of the river. There are many crabs in the area that are hunted by some of the locals and sold on the roadsides near Dennery or in to some restaurants in the valley on a weekly basis (in time for the weekend crab specials). The southern trail leads through mostly Almond forest with trees that the locals call “mami”. The almonds and “mami” are the dominant species, being the largest members of the forest canopy and shading out most understory growth. Closer to the beach, the area is made up predominantly of coconut trees with some large red mangroves and a few white mangroves mixed in. Along the river, the ground is more saturated and there are a few red mangroves mixed in with the “mami” trees, which out-compete the mangroves in certain places. There appears to be very little ground-cover and regeneration of small trees in the forest.

There were many juvenile crabs on the swamp floor, which is a good sign that the crab population isn't being over-exploited and they are reproducing at a steady rate. There were many signs of birds in the area, mainly a lot of sightings and bird calls that were observed. Some of the species observed were the bananaquit, mangrove cuckoo, and several hummingbirds, egrets, and blue herons. The birds could take refuge in the large, intertwined vines in the canopy and had plenty of available food in the form of mosquitoes, nuts, and flowers. Further study could be done to see if there is a lot of bat activity in the area at night. Other animals observed were lizards, a few mongoose, hermit crabs along the beach, and there were plenty of termite nests on the trees.

The northern side of the river is not easily accessible, since there are only a few dirt roads that go along the river and through the farms of the Ramjou banana company lands. The main dirt road we used (closest to the water's edge on the north side of the river) ends at pastureland that goes up close to the river bank where you will see cows grazing. One has to go through some marsh land to enter the mangrove.

The northern mangrove is more expansive and has plenty of areas that have saturated soils and even large pools of water. There are areas where the “mami” tree is dominant in the drier spots, but there are a lot of black mangroves towards the center and red mangroves on the fringe where there is plenty of water. There unfortunately is a lot of trash, mostly bottles, that can be found throughout the mangrove, apparently following the river's flood zones, and seems to be a large problem on the north side. There didn't seem to be as many crabs on the north side, but there were still a lot of waterfowl and other birds in the mangrove. Most of the same animal species were found here, but there weren't as many almond trees and was mostly mangrove and mami trees.

Text Box: Figure 3. Basic field testing areas map

Water quality testing

The quality of the water in the Fond D'Or river was tested at three locations along the river (see Figure 3). The first site was located near the mouth of the river, where it meets the ocean and was located on the south side. The second site was in the middle of the mangrove on the north side, surrounded by mangrove forest. The third site was upstream of the mangrove on the south bank where there was mostly grassland up-river. Three samples were taken at each site on different days. Water samples were analyzed for dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, total coliforms, and E. coli. Values for each were compared to the accepted values according to the EPA and other sources (Table 1).

Table 1: Water quality test results with acceptable levels shown in green, less optimal levels shown in yellow, and unacceptable levels shown in red.

Most of the variables were at acceptable levels with a few exception. The dissolved oxygen at the middle site was low at the middle site on one day, but we hypothesize that this is due to over titration during the field analysis. The turbidity was high on January 13^th because there was heavy rain the day before, so these values are considered normal for the condition that they were sampled in. The only values that were exceedingly high were the coliform and E. coli coming from manure and human waste that drain into the river either directly from ditches that go through the mangrove or from runoff on the stream bank where the cattle graze. The E. coli levels are about 100 times the acceptable United States Environmental Protection Agency levels for recreational swimming and the coliform is about 7-9 times over the limit.

Future recommendations would be to restrict swimming in the river and possibly the ocean in certain parts. The ocean needs to be tested to see if there are unsafe levels of E. coli and coliform where bathing is permitted. It should also be made clear if the beach is suitable for swimming and bathing, since there were a few conflicting signs that either said “No bathing” or “Bathe with caution.” Action also needs to be done in order to reduce the bacteria levels by either controlling the pollution at the source, i.e. prevent waste from enter the river directly and create riparian buffers, or to do some sort of remediation effort. There are currently studies being done using bags inoculated with certain species of fungi to clean E. coli invested water due to the antibiotic properties of fungi (Stamets, 2003). Implementing a composting toilet type of treatment to human waste might also reduce the inflow of E. coli from the source, since studies show that E. coli doesn't survive long after exiting the body and is isolated from a water source (Oikos).

Forest health

In order to determine the overall health of the mangrove, two transects were done, one of each side of the river. Each transect contained two plots measuring 10 meters by 10 meters. Tree species, diameter, and height were taken at each plot to determine species richness and biodiversity. Observations were taken to see if there was any new growth or trees that were cut down.

Tables 2 & 3: Transect 1, plots 1 and 2 on the south side data. The dominant tree species in plot 1 was the Mami tree and in plot 2 it is Almond.

Tables 4 & 5: Transect 2, plots 3 and 4 on the north side. More mangrove trees were present on the north side and both plots had different mangrove species as the dominant tree species.

On the southern side, the transect did not encounter any mangrove trees, but there were several trees that the locals call “mami” and we hypothesize to be Pterocarpus officinalis. Each plot had little biodiversity within the plot, but there were distinct communities from plot to plot. This is a good indicator that there isn't one dominant species throughout the mangrove area and the lack of diversity within an 10x10m plot is to be expected. Each dominant species in an area had varying diameters which indicates that the ages are most likely variable. This leads us to conclude that there is probably very little harvesting of trees in the area, or at least that little has been done in the past.

More research needs to be done on the “mami” tree that we think is Pterocarpus officinalis. Pterocarpus officinalis is a valuable hardwood tree and is a freshwater swamp species that is losing habitat in many islands in the Caribbean (Riveria-Ocasio, 2007). Conservation efforts may need to be done to ensure that not only is the current habitat is left unaltered, but that the tree is introduced into places that it once occupied on the island in order to preserve the genetic diversity of the species as a whole. If it is not the Pterocarpus, more investigation needs to be done to see if it is a nuisance or invasive species that may be occupying mangrove habitat. It seems unlikely since there were specific plots of large “mami” trees which indicate that they have their own niche that they occupy.

Stakeholder interviews

Local community knowledge is often key to understanding a place. For that reason, along with our field explorations, we reached out to members of key stakeholder groups for interviews. We had learned during our preliminary studies of the area that the area has come to the attention of developers, looking to build a golf course in the country's fairly rural southeast section (pers. comm., October 2009) and wanted to understand this in a bit more depth, while also getting a sense for how the mangroves where being used on a day-to-day basis.

There were 6 stakeholder group members interviewed, ranging in age from 21 to 68, some of which were single parents, married with kids, and single with no kids. The majority of the folks interviewed lived in the surrounding communities and had lived there most (if not all) of their lives; communities represented are La Caye, Richfond, Dennery, Lumiere. They ranged in educational levels from secondary school to individuals with masters degrees and represented members of the business, non-profit, socio-cultural groups, and the residential communities.

Interviews were kept informal, not following an exact set of questions, but covering the areas of history, current uses and access. Some of the key findings from the interview include a rudimentary understanding of the history of the area, uses of the mangroves, and some indication of perceived management responsibilities and community concerns. The following bullet points emerge from notes taken during the interviews, organized by thematic area, across interviewees.

The interviewed community members were:

Andrew Mathurin (also known in the community as Edan or Apachee) -- Overseer, Ramjou Corporation

Leyana Felicien – President, Mayouba Valley Environmental Club

Cornelius Edmund – Acting Chairman, Fond D'Or Foundation

Cornelius Isaac – Project Manager, GEF-IWCAM Saint Lucia Demonstration Site

Lawrence Polinis (also known as Edwin) – Security Guard, Ramjou Corportation and tailor

History of the Fond D'Or Bay mangroves

· From 17^th century to 1960's, area was mostly used for sugaring

· in 1960's, Dennery Factory started banana crops

◦ 70's to 90's – diminishing banana crops

◦ late 90's Ramju Corporation replaced Dennery Factory

◦ currently about 50 acres with 20 laborers working out of Ramju

· until early 80's – Land throughout the area (entire Mayouba Valley) used to belong to Mr. Bernard

· '80(?) Hurricane Allen passed and removed many of the coconuts

· '80s – Forestry took some people to court in the area – more in relation to the hillside lands. When project came into view, MVDP was planting dry land species, but not in the mangrove area itself.

· 80's-'92 – sand extraction for use in construction throughout Saint Lucia.

◦ Sand was extracted daily (large trucks existing with truckloads every day)

◦ sand mining took up habitat on beach

◦ since sand mining, there seem to be more trees, in general

· '95(?) – Natural Heritage Park created

· '03 MVDP (created or dismantled..?)

· '05 – Land Rationalization process

· '07 – Watershed Management Commission initiated (currently in process of becoming NGO)

· April 2008 – designation of park as managed by Fond D'Or Foundation

· many people's latest impression is that the mangroves are currently managed by Forestry

· Fond D'Or Foundation came out of the need to make something out of Fond D'Or area (whole watershed), but looking at park as fulcrum to raise awareness and help development in the Mayouba Valley as well as in Dennery.

· Originally (after Mr. Bernard) some lands owned by the NDC. When government set up MVDP (funded by EU), they created Land Co. However, since MVDP went defunct, some lands may have gone back to the NDC. [interviewee unsure, but would expect land was split between NDC and Ag)

Current uses of the mangroves

· Crabbing

◦ year-round

◦ crabbers self-regulate and do not harvest gestating females

◦ many animals are collected for sale to restaurant(s) in Marigot Bay which offer weekend crab specials

◦ several methods exist, including:

▪ blocking crab holes of air for 15-30 minutes and holding the crabs once you unblock the hole

▪ digging holes in crab locations and reaching in to pull crabs out

◦ crabs sell for about EC$ 2-3 each, commonly being sold in sacks for $20-$40.

◦ crabbers from Fond D'Or often go crabbing late at night (when crabs are more likely to be active) or early in the morning and sell at regular locations on the side of the main road near Dennery

◦ possibly as much as 10% of the local population partakes in crabbing to supplement their income (some more regularly than others)

◦ another interviewee guessed as many as 50 crab hunters from Lumiere and La Caye who sell to both local people and to restaurants.

· fishing in Fond D'Or River

◦ for human consumption

◦ for bait

◦ year-round (different fish available at different times)

◦ fishing often happens at night (better catch)

◦ interviewees weren't sure if they knew of people getting sick from eating the fish harvested from the river (or didn't want to tell), but did share that you could often taste mud in the fish

· wood extraction limited

◦ no real charcoal production – no pits

◦ however no real deterrent to charcoal, either (other than difficult landscape)

◦ Forestry fellows restricted it and took some folks to court in the past

◦ some harvesting likely happening for yam poles and props

▪ [for one interviewee this not a source of concern]

▪ [another interviewee reported never have seen it happen]

◦ in the past (several years ago, prior to popularity of fiberglass canoes), red mangroves would have been used for structural support in wooden canoes

◦ report of someone chopping some mangrove recently closer to the road

◦ some folks harvest coconuts by the sea

◦ some plants collected for medicinal purposes (indigestion aid)

· some recreational bathing

◦ accessible from either side of the river, but usually approached from the south side

◦ most people walk in, but some bike to the beach

◦ some see it as too dirty for bathing

◦ generally unsafe place to swim, lives lost yearly to this beach

◦ recreational bathing more common on the weekends (Sundays)

· interest in using local natural areas (including mangroves) for environmental education and community involvement

◦ clean-ups

◦ tree plantings and restoration work

◦ educational workshops and activities

◦ ecotourism – some sort to wetland that people can walk through and fish, but still allows for research

▪ were in negotiation with a local business person (from Castries, “Luzi”?) who operates kayak business in Rosalie, but haven't gone through with meetings because of cleanliness issue

◦ idea to use coconut to create barrier in mangroves for planting wetland flowers.

· Most folks accessing and using the mangroves on the south side of the river – using park entrance, back gate isn't used often.

· Not very many people using the north side

· Folks tend to go into mangroves in groups (4-5)

Community concerns

· mangroves are viewed as an important part of the life cycles of important fisheries species

· one interviewee had a bad experience in the mangrove (allergic reaction to water, skin irritation and swelling) after participating in a clean up event.

· Mangroves identified as dirty from the litter

· water seen as silty, possibly due to farmers digging drains which results in runoff

· similarly, farmers are perceived to not use fertilizers properly (this interviewee thought they should be applied underground for best use).

· Concerns about education being the key to lifestyle changes – “nobody knows what harm is being done”

· desire to work with youth in order to share the message with the community via the children

· lack of support for environmental education, but seeking funding from local donations and international grant sources

· in the past tree plantings were done along Grand Ravine and La Caye and excess trees were distributed to farmers to hold soil in place (and decrease sedimentation of the rivers).

· There has been a decrease in fish populations due to roads and quarries being built

· sense that nobody cares about environmental work being done because there is debris discarded even 5 minutes after a clean up.

· as recently as '02, education group used the beach by the mangrove for a recreational outing (BBQ), but not used as much for leisure anymore.

· Since and before studies done by the ministries, nothing has come to fruition

One reason for the current situation is that people are ignorant to what is on the ground. In a broader sense, at one point the land was under the Bernard estate, which had armed security guards patrolling the entire estate, so there was little harvesting and trees were allowed to grow. Now that is dismantled and open for others to go in and do anything.
We need to identify the types of services that the mangrove provides (fisheries and wildlife habitat, water quality) – it all needs research in order to come up with value to watershed and Saint Lucia. All watersheds are losing mangroves as if they mean nothing.

Perceptions of management responsibilities

· Uses of the mangrove today are self directed and two interviewees seem to prefer it that way

◦ good for people to come and go. Don't know who manages it, don't really care.

· The Fisheries Department seen as national level managing agency

· don't want to mangroves to be private (inaccessible to public), but doesn't want it to go unamanaged

· Folks in charge of Natural Heritage Park only pay attention to the side of the park that is marketable – should expand their management to include mangroves

· land previously in the hands of the Ministry of Agriculture, but no real map existed.

· Various studies have been done on the area by different branches of the government, but no boundaries set.

· Natural park boundaries would be the river, the road (up to Moure Valle) and the beach.

· As Fond D'Or Foundation, we'd be really interested in conserving the mangroves and being guards and replanting and creating wetland for use.

Fond D'Or Foundation are in the process of becoming a legal NGO and will need land demarcation.
Their plan is to create benefits and open the area for use, while providing guardianship
Have security guards in the park, but will look at other things like security lighting and possible infrastructure to create ownership and increase responsibility factor.
IWCAM is a project, with an end. Hope to provide sufficient information for environmental club and watershed management NGO (in the process of being created) to continue to provide mangrove services.
Idea is when project ends to pass lessons learned to entity so that they continue working on these issues and benefits of project don't go to waste.
Commission includes wide range of stakeholders – mission is to achieve recreational water goal standards in all rivers, which would require membership of people throughout the island.
Mangroves are one of the areas identified by the Fisheries Department as marine reserves. They need to formalize that arrangement – make it legal and more of a government policy position. While declared, there's not capacity to manage it on the ground (paperwork vs. real).
Would be good to manage it with assistance from other companies – land belongs to government Crown lands.
The current state of open access is bad – will eventually lead to over harvesting. However, if people have no sense of ownership, they wouldn't care about conservation.

Future actions recommended

The purpose of this report is to identify the characteristics of the Fond D'Or mangrove area and give recommendations for it's future use. There are number of uses of the mangrove now and it is important to report these uses and information about the mangrove for people to reference in the future and to know more about the land that is at the bottom of their watershed. This can be used for educational purposes to integrate people with the land and water management and give direction for any possible projects in the area in the future.

To start, we offer a few simple field methodology recommendations, which may improve future monitoring protocol and provide a more accurate set of results. We also offer some longer-terms needs areas and suggestions for management and remediation.

Mapping:

Re-walk the perimeter of the mangroves with a GPS tool of higher accuracy. Alternatively, change the methods for collecting GPS points so as to assure a greater accuracy for the same machine. Our results ranged from a margin of error anywhere between ± 3-40 meters. Given the small size of the plot, the higher margin of error is not helpful for plotting information.
Field walk site with Allen Smith, author of two of the works cited in this study. His report identifies the mangrove habitat as consisting of under an acre, surrounded by almost 10 acres of marshy/wetlands. If he is not available in person, at least reach out to him by phone or email to find the areas of difference and convergence between his landscape analysis methods and our own.
Determine map boundaries for as many parcels as possible directly adjacent to study area.
The southern boundary is not yet final as per the perspective of the Natural Heritage Park managers and may possibly be extended to include the entire southern section of the study area, so as to use the river as a natural boundary. This needs to be clearly set to paper for management.
Mr. Edmunds suggests we reach out to Christopher Cox (then head of commission and minister of ag about maps created about 5 years about, demarcating boundaries

Water Quality Sampling:

Continue water quality sampling for at least a full year period so as to include the rainy season.
Conduct bacterial testing into the beach area that is current used periodically for recreational bathing, so as to confirm that the coliform and E. coli content are within swimming levels

◦ Change “No Bathing” and “Swim At Your Own Risk” signage, accordingly

Explore options for getting water samples from further into the center of the river

◦ Using hip waders to enter into river for sampling

◦ Throwing object into water (please note that it would still be important to measure certain qualities about the exact site of the water quality sample, such as depth, distance from bank, temperature, and that the dissolved oxygen methods require two hands to be submerged for the sample collection)

◦ Possible canoe put-in at shallower entrances to water (by the beach)

· Although not vital for further study, exploring the macroinvertebrates of the river can offer a much clearer picture of water quality, given that species and genus offer a biological indication of pollutant concentrations, given their limited (or great) tolerance.

Forest Health:

· Add additional transects and study plots to areas currently left unstudied, especially on western edges of study area north of the river.

· Confirm the currently existing uncertainty that the tree known in Creole as “mami' is the very same Pterocarpus officinalis. This is a vital step to determining whether to manage for or against its presence in this particular landscape, as Pterocarpus officinalis is threatened in the greater Caribbean and would need special protection in the Fond D'Or Bay.

· Consider adding field methods which explore basic numbers and health of wildlife populations (i.e, crabs and some avian species).

Historical Data:

Collect the complete set of aerial photographs for this site (as listed in 2009 Smith report) as well as earlier national mangrove studies that may offer some insights into the historical uses and landscape changes in the areas surrounding and including the Fond D'Or Bay.
Identify older community members who can offer knowledge on any changes in the extent or health of the mangroves since the sand harvesting that was conducted in the 1980s.
Determine the succession of land managers from Mr. Bernard to the present in order to garner any institutional knowledge that has been lost through the many transitions that have taken place in the last couple decades.

Policy/Management:

· Clarify the agencies and individuals presently charged with oversight of the Fond D'Or Bay mangroves. So far, these may include:

◦ Fond D'Or Natural Heritage Park

◦ Department of Fisheries (or, more generally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)

◦ Crownlands Department

◦ National Development Corporation

◦ the currently operating community development agency (formerly Mayouba Valley Development Corporation and Land Co)

◦ others?

· Identify all community stakeholders in the mangroves, beyond those listed above, who will need to be included along some step of the process:

◦ crabbers

◦ farmers grazing cattle alongside river

◦ farmers planting crops alongside river

◦ local educators

◦ recreational users of the area

◦ environmental club

◦ others?

· Reach out to these folks and conduct surveys or focus groups to determine how different management scenarios will hold sway

· Identify the various laws/regulations/policies that exist (whether they are being enforced or not) with regards to mangroves

◦ Fisheries law about mangrove protection as marine reserves

◦ Riparian buffers (carefully read passage to determine whether these regulations could also apply to man-made waterways)

◦ others?

· Set the mangroves in the context of the larger network of protected areas in the watershed, region, and country. (does Fond D'Or fit into a great scheme or is it in close proximity to other protected areas?)

· Consult adjacent landowners to get a greater understanding of their uses of the lands surrounding the mangroves and any areas of confluence or conflict that may arise

Mr. Edmunds suggests getting in touch with Evestus Augistin who is working with SFA consultants at implementing new funds for Dennery and Mayouba Valley (used to be liaison for MVDP and has access to different projects)
Explore Ministry of Tourism's SFA project for any overlap

Water quality remediation possibilities:

· Clean Up Day to remove bottles and trash from mangroves (especially on the north side)

· Explore options for mycoremediation (some options include coconut husks or other such natural carriers inoculated with fungal bodies that are used to naturally captures sediment and trap e. coli and other bacterial pollutants)

· Identify sources of polluted water and consider implementing localized solutions or addressing the more general problems surrounding wastewater and solid waste disposal

◦ wastewater management policy

◦ settling pools, where appropriate

◦ composting toilets (which reduce the bacterial content and can also be processed for use as soil amendments) in La Caye and other key communities

◦ more constructed wetlands, such as the demonstration projects implemented by IWCAM throughout watershed

◦ higher end constructed wetlands along the drainage ditches and streams which could provide some level of filtration before the water reaches the mangroves

◦ enforcing riparian buffer laws

· Educational campaign to address mangrove health, as most people in the watershed are likely unaware that their trash is ending up in the study plot

◦ exploring how waste entering the mangroves affects the fisheries business as well as recreational swimming

WORKS CITED

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Value of Ecosystem Services: An Overview Highlighting Hydrologic Services

(Vol. 32, pp. 67-98).

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Ferraro, P. J., & Simpson, R. D. (2001). Cost Effective Conservation: A Review of What

Works to Preserve Biodiversity. Resources (143), 17-20.

Foley, Kevin. (June 2004) Constructed Wetlands Friendly to Environment, Farmers. The View from UVM. Retrieved October 10, 2007

Food And Agriculture Organization, Issues, Perspectives, Policy and Planning Processes for Integrated Coastal are Management. FAO Corporate Document Repository. Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, 1998. Oct. 2007 http://www.fao.org/docrep/w8440e/w8440e02.htm.

Food and Agriculture Organization. 2005. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005: Thematic Study on Mangroves. Saint Lucia Country Profile. Forest Resources Development Service Forestry Department, Forest Resources Division

Geoghegan, T. and A.H. Smith. 1998. Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods: Collaborative Management of the Mankòtè Mangrove, St. Lucia. Community Participation in Forest Management. A series by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute

Lacerda, L.D. 1993. Conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests in Latin America and Africa regions. Vol. 2 Part I- Latin America. Mangrove Ecosystems technical reports ITTO/ISME Project PD114/90 (F). Okinawa, Japan. 272 pp.

Ministry Of Agriculture, comp. Integrating the Management of Watersheds and Coastal Areas in St. Lucia. Water Resources Management Unit. Castries: Caribbean Environmental Health Institute, 2001. 1-105. Oct. 2007 <http://www.cehi.org.lc/water_resources/>.

Oikos. Pathogens and composting toilet systems. Retrieved from http://oikos.com/library/compostingtoilet/pathogens.html

Richardson, A. (2008). Graduate Thesis: Exploring the feasibility of economic incentives for reforestation in the Fond D'Or Watershed, Saint Lucia. University of Vermont: Burlington, VT. Retrieved on 28 October 2009 from: http://library.uvm.edu/dspace/bitstream/123456789/181/1/amandarichardsonfinal.pdf

Rivera-Ocasio, E, & Aide, T. “The effects of salinity on the dynamics of a Pterocarpus officinalis forest stand in Puerto Rico”. Journal of Tropical Ecology (2007), 23:5:559-568 Cambridge University Press

Stamets, P. (2003). Road restoration and mushrooms. Retrieved from http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/roadrestoration.html

World Agroforestry Centre (WAC) [2008]: AgroForestryTree Database – Pterocarpus soyauxii. Retrieved 2008-NOV-01.