“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit” – EMERSON Ecoregional Planning: Developing a Blueprint for Biodiversity Conservation in Micronesia Bill Raynor Micronesia Program Director US Coral Reef Task Force Meeting, Oct. 3, 2003, Saipan, CNMI

Marjorie Reaka PPT Kacky Andrews PPT

BEFORE WE BEGIN What is the The Nature Conservancy and who IS Bill Raynor? (web) internships etc.

MAP OF ASIA PACIFIC CSP Newsletter Sakau drink pics from folder and plant My pubs

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i PALAU PRESIDENT URGES CONSERVATION By Agnes M. Abrau KOROR, Palau (Palau Horizon, Nov. 9) – Palau President Tommy Remengesau has asked visiting U.S. officials to continue the "battle" against global warming and threats to the world’s biodiversity. In a speech to the participants of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting here on Saturday, Remengesau said coral reef conservation is a national, regional and international issue. He said a global crisis requires global solutions and depends on global partnerships at every level.

This, he added, "is truly our only hope to preserve our coral reefs for our children." According to Remengesau, Palau is already a world leader in "ratio of area protected to maintain biological diversity to surface area" "For Palau, the environment is our economic future. We have no higher issue on our agenda than the preservation of our natural resources. Because of this, we recognize that a delicate balance must be struck between growth and conservation. We also recognize our limitations. It is because of this recognition that we understand that only through real partnerships and sharing will we achieve our mutual conservation goals," Remengesau said. He added that Palau involves itself in world conservation issues. Palau is one of the first nations of the world to pass a law that prohibits shark finning within its exclusive economic zone, he said. The law prohibits commercial fishing within 50 miles of the country’s shores.

Remengesau said Palau also passed a protected area network law "that will stand as the basic framework to allow to meet Palau’s commitment to protect and manage 30 percent of its total reef, mangrove and lagoon area, as well as 20 percent of its forests, by 2010." Moreover, he said, Palau sponsored, both in the United Nations and in the Pacific Islands Forum, an initiative calling for the cessation of high seas bottom trawling. Remengesau said that they had discussions with U.S. resource partners regarding the proposed phase II of Palau’s resource management and zoning plan. November 9, 2005 Marianas Variety: Copyright © 2005 Marianas Variety. All Rights Reserved

ECOREGIONAL PLANNING CONSERVATION AREA PLANNING MEASURES OF SUCCESS STRATEGIES & ACTIONS Conservation by Design (Single- & multi-area)

Steps of Ecoregional Planning 1.Determine the region of interest. ECOREGION 2.Define the representative ecosystems, natural communities, and selected species that should be conserved. CONSERVATION TARGETS 3.Delineate the healthiest examples of these ecosystems, communities, and species. VIABLE OCCURRENCES 4.Decide on how many examples of these ecosystems, communities, and species need to be conserved. GOALS 5.Determine the areas that capture the most and best examples AREAS OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE 6.Determine which of these areas are of highest priority to conserve. ACTION AREAS 7.Develop actions that will help to conserve many areas of biological significance. MULTI-AREA STRATEGIES of these ecosystems, communities, & species.

Why Ecoregional Planning? Planning starts at regional scales rather than at specific sites, as this allows for conservation of a full range of biodiversity Many key threats operate at multi- site scale Coordinated efforts can facilitate partnerships and increase strategic use of conservation resources (strategic vs. opportunistic, proactive vs. reactive)

Step 1 - SELECT ECOREGION Tuna, etc. move around this region’s waters What is underwater elevation called? Why is it relevant to map for BIO-D?

Pen to delineate

Federated States of Micronesia An island nation in the western Pacific An archipelago of 607 islands 271 sq. miles of land/2,700 sq. miles of lagoons and coral reefs - spread across 1,000,000 sq. miles of ocean

Background and where the $’s from FSM National Government received UNDP-GEF assistance to do their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) TNC was undergoing a national/regional expansion, and needed to do Ecoregional Planning FSM NBSAP Task Force adopted the ecoregional planning effort State BSAP teams assisted with ecoregional planning process as experts and advisors

Step 2 - CONSERVATION TARGETS Upland broadleaf forest Lowland broadleaf forest Montane cloud forest Fern/Sedge Savanna Limestone forest Ivory nut palm forest Clinostigma palm forest Terrestrial Ecosystems High island nearshore marine (coral reefs, lagoons, sea grass, etc.) Atoll nearshore marine Atoll/Beach forest Atoll inland mangrove High island mangrove Marine Ecosystems Chuuk flying fox Pohnpei short-earred owl Giant Micronesian gecko Manta ray Turtle nesting beaches Giant clams Selected Species Freshwater stream Terminalia swamp forest Riparian forest Montane perched Freshwater swamp Coastal freshwater marsh Freshwater & Wetland Ecosystems

Step 3 -VIABLE OCCURRENCES How big? How fragmented? What % agriculture? How many invasives? Upland Broadleaf Forest How big? Water quality? Intact watershed? Resilience? Connectivity? High Island Nearshore Marine

FSM Data Gaps Inshore marine systems/ communities - lack of updated maps and health/viability data Outer islands - lack presence and health/viability data Open ocean - over all lack of data Submerged reefs - little data on biodiversity and health/viability Marine Species - lack updated surveys

Step 4 - GOALS How much is enough?

Step 5 - AREAS OF BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Pick places that are the most HEALTHY Pick places that capture the MOST number of ecosystems, communities & species Pick places RESISTANT to large scale threats such as bleaching Pick sites that have CONNECTIVITY Pick places that are the most FEASIBLE to work in.

Biological Value Number/diversity of targets Health or integrity Urgency of threat Feasibility Leverage Step 6 - ACTION AREAS

Step 7 - Multi-Area Strategies Strategies must respond to key marine threats: Overfishing- 50% of ABS sites Coastal Erosion/Sea Level Rise Water pollution - 16% Destructive harvesting - 15% Basin erosion and sedimentation

Partnerships FSM National Government (NBSAP Task Force, Dept. of Economic Affairs, NORMA) Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, and Chuuk States NGOs - CSP, KCSO, GATA,YESC College Of Micronesia - FSM UNDP-GEF Regional Universities (UoG, UH) US Federal Programs (DOI, USFS, USDA-NRCS, NOAA) The Nature Conservancy

Benefits of Linking ERP to NBSAP Government and community ownership of ecoregional plan (shared “map of success”) Focus all stakeholders on priority sites, species, and long-term biological viability Build partnerships to deal with multi-site threats Increased strategic use of limited conservation resources High visibility to potential donors

RESULTS SO FAR Major funding from outside sources to keep work moving Local leaders staking over process and training younger members of society to do the work Multiple areas protected Measurements and analysis of efforts ongoing Palau seeking UN status and this will allow it to push such issues and combat certain fishing techniques

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Other Linkages Micronesia Conservation Trust - “location in an ABS site” as grant criteria Micronesia Leaders in Island Conservation - focus on leaders and organizations working at ABS sites Compact Environment Sector - provide funding for recurrent activities (e.g., protected areas management/enforcement) focussed in ABS sites