I slandResourcesFoundation

1991 REPORT

AN ANNUAL SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES,AND PUBLICATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1991

Red Hook Center Box 33, St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands 00802 Tel: 809/775-6225 Fax: 809/779-2022

FIVE YEAR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROJECT CLOSESWITH RELEASE OF SYNTHESIS REPORT

Environmental Agenda for the 1990's Put Forward

A five year environmental assessment program for the EasternCaribbean — launched by theCaribbean Conservation Association (CCA), implemented by theIsland Resources Foundation(IRF), and funded by the U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) — came to an end inSeptember of this year. Known asthe Country Environmental Profile(or CEP) Project, this effort involveda unique collaboration between regional and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) andthe Governments of six EasternCaribbean countries. The result wasa first-of-its-kind program to examine and assess priority environmental issues in selected island areas.

A milestone event in theproject was achieved in July whenpublication of six EnvironmentalProfiles was formally announced at aceremony held in Barbados. Copiesof the recently published (June1991) Profiles were presented toGovernment and NGO delegatesfrom the six participating countries,and remarks were presented byrepresentatives from key sponsoringinst i tut ions, including Aaron

Williams, outgoing director of theUSAID Regional Development Office, Barbados; Calvin Howell, executive director of CCA; and EdwardTowle, president of IRF.

THE IRF MISSION ...

Environmental planningfor the sustainable

development of islands

The comprehensive, multi-island CEP series provides thereader with a national overview ofthe state of the environment in sixneighboring island states in theLesser Antilles — Antigua-Barbuda,Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis,St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and theGrenadines. The documents go beyond a mere historical review, however, to highlight current pollutionproblems, research and planningneeds, conservation issues, and environmental policy weaknesses in theProfile countries. Additionally, each200-300 page report presents abroad spectrum of action agendas

reflecting the inputs of in-countryreview committees.

In short, the EnvironmentalProfiles were designed to assist thesix target nations in the difficult taskof balancing development and environmental demands. To make thistask easier, a smaller, seventh volume was prepared as an executivesummary of the first six volumes.Entitled Environmental Agenda forthe 1990's: A Synthesis of the East-em Caribbean Country Environmental Profile Series, the report was prepared by IRF vice president, JudithTowle.

The Synthesis is intended toprovide easy access to Profile findings and recommendations andthereby to increase their visibility toa wider audience of Caribbean leaders — both political and environmental. It highlights those issuesand recommendations common toProfile countries and, by so doing,provides an updated and organizedframework for change in environmental policies and resource management programs in the targetedcountries - and, by extension, in theEastern Caribbean region.

Page 2 ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION

LAUNCHING CEREMONY FOR CEP SYNTHESIS REPORT

Formal announcement of the publication of the CEP Synthesis Report {Environmental Agenda for the 1990's) wasmade jointly by the Caribbean Conservation Association and Island Resources Foundation at a ceremony held onSeptember 24 in St. Kitts. A CEP Follow-up Workshop was held the next day when delegates from participatingCEP countries were given an opportunity to report on post-CEP activities and to informally outline steps for CEPfollow-up by donor agencies, regional and national NGOs, and CEP Governments.

Judith Towle, IRF vice president and author of ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA FOR THE 1990's, is pictured with CCA executive director, Calvin Howell (left), and Albert Merkel ofUSAID, at a reception held in connection with the formallaunching of the CEP Synthesis Report.

Bruce Horwith (left), IRF's NGO Program Director, chats withAndrew Bierzynski, president of the Grenada National Trustand Historical Society, at a CEP reception held in St. Kitts inSeptember.

A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE CEP REPORTS AS RECEIVED AT IRF HEADQUARTERS

This is an amazing document (St. VincentCEP), and I'm surprised so much was assembled in [a relatively short time]. ... thebibliography is the most complete assembledto date.

- Richard A. HowardArnold Arboretum, Harvard University

[The CEPs] are a great compilation of information and will certainly help in assuringmore effective land and resource management in the OECS [countries].

- Richard M. Huber

Organization of American States

I am sure they will become a valuable reference source in the future and perhaps moreimportantly, the production of the docu

ments was a valuable process in environmental planning for the islands.

- Gillian Cambers, Conservation OfficerBritish Virgin Islands Government

Personally, I think the CEP report forDominica is an excellent document. We onlyhope that a mechanism to have the recommendations implemented can be put in placeas a matter of urgency.

- Felix Gregoire, Director

Forestry and Wildlife, Dominica

The very impressive set of 6 volumes arrived

today. A splendid compilation it is! Congratulations on your magnum opus.

- Jim Thorsell, World Conservation Union

I want to congratulate the Foundation forthe excellent job that was done with these

country profiles. This is an important contribution to the literature on the islands.

- Ariel E. Lugo, DirectorInstitute of Tropical ForestryPuerto Rico

Needless to say, you have chalked up a significant first in this area in the EasternCaribbean. My congratulations ... for thewinner ... produced in ENVIRONMENTALAGENDA FOR THE 1990's. The cover isso compelling that it hooks readers who[might] otherwise have ignored the title.

- Frank L. Mills, Eastern Caribbean Center

University of the Virgin Islands

1991 ANNUAL REPORT Page 3

UPDATE ON FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been thehome base of the Island Resources Foundation since itsformal establishment in 1971. Utilizing its institutionalresources on behalf of the community in which most ofIRF's staff live and work has always been a Foundationpriority. Thus, over the course of the last two decades,IRF has undertaken research, technical assistance, andeducational programs in the U.S. Territory totaling almost two million dollars. Fifty-five separate grants orcontracts have been awarded to the Foundation in theexecution of V.I.-based programs, of which over twodozen were awarded by various agencies of the VirginIslands Government.

IRF president, Ed Towle, has long maintained thatinstitutional and resource management models developed and tested in the Virgin Islands have potentialusefulness elsewhere in the Caribbean. For example,Towle has pointed to the V.I. Coastal Zone Management(CZM) Program — with over a decade and a half of experience ~ as a useful island model for neighboring insular areas now facing coastal-intensive development issues similar to those confronted in this U.S. Territory.

Collaboration with V.I. Government

Since the mid-1970's the Foundation has enjoyed asolid working relationship with the V.I. governmentaldepartment charged with environmental planning andmanagement responsibilities -- initially, the Departmentof Conservation and Cultural Affairs (DCCA) and,more recently, the Department of Planning and NaturalResources (DPNR). Under contract to DCCA, severalof IRF's accomplishments in the 1970's and early 1980'swere quite unique, both to the territory and the region:

development of the Territory's coastalplanning guidelines;

- design of a susceptibility indexing system for V.I. bays and harbors;

- completion of a first-of-its-kind vesselwaste pollution study; and

- preparation of a series of mangrove la-goonal system case studies with management guidelines.

More recent efforts carried out by IRF for DPNRhave focussed on the Territory's land use planning initiative, assessment of the environmental damage inflicted

Roy Watlington, currently on leave from his faculty position at the University of the Virgin Islands while pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Miami, returned for a second summer at IRF headquarters in St.Thomas. He served as project coordinator during theearly phases of IRF's APC project, funded by the VirginIslands Government.

on coastal systems by Hurricane Hugo, and preparationof a feasibility study for a proposed territorial park system.

In 1991, DPNR asked the Foundation to designmanagement plans for five sites designated by the Government as "areas of particular concern" (or APCs).Eighteen such areas (all coastal) were first designated bythe Territory's 1978 CZM Act, but no boundaries weredrawn or management plans formulated. Five pilot siteshave now been earmarked for initial APC managementplanning, and a team of IRF resource planners, in cooperation with DPNR personnel, have been at work on thisproject since mid-summer.

As a unique feature of the APC effort, the EasternCaribbean Center of the University of the Virgin Islands(ECC/UVI) joined DPNR and IRF in project implementation. Under a Memorandum of Understandinginitiated by ECC Director Dr. LaVerne Ragster, IRFwas able to secure the services of UVI faculty memberRoy Watlington to assist in the early phases of the APCeffort. Dr. Ragster, who is also an IRF Research Associate, and IRF's president Ed Towle are exploring similaropportunities for collaboration.

(continued on page 4)

Page 4 ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION

V.I. PROGRAM UPDATE, continued from page 3 ...

MacArthur Planning Grant to AssistReestablishment of VIRMC

The recent cooperation of DPNR, UVI, and IRFdemonstrates the intent of an important program initiative which IRF has pursued during the last year, namely,the building of stronger public and private sector coalitions in the pursuit of common resource managementobjectives in the Virgin Islands. This initiative acquiredadded incentive with receipt of a planning grant from theJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The MacArthur grant focuses on the prospects forreorganizing the Virgin Islands Resource ManagementCooperative (VIRMC), a unique institutional vehiclecreated in the mid-1980's with the assistance of theVirgin Islands National Park and approximately a dozenpublic and private sector research and resource management institutions based in or carrying out programsin the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Although coordinated research initiatives undertaken by VIRMC in the 1980's focused on baselineresearch and resource assessment for the Virgin IslandsBiosphere Reserve in St. John, a rejuvenated VIRMCwould expand its framework to encourage a partnershipof federal, territorial, and NGO institutions concernedabout resource management issues in the Territory.

A further objective would be to look seriously atlessons learned" from the Virgin Islands' experiencewith managing development impacts, in part, because theVirgin Islands continues to be viewed as a successful development model elsewhere in the Caribbean region.Therefore, there is an extra-territorial dimension to assessing the Virgin Islands' successes and failures and itstwo decades of experimentation in managing high densities, rapid growth, modernization, and insular ecosystems. In this regard, a leadership role could be assumedby a revamped V.I. Resource Management Cooperative.

New Cooperative Agreement withthe U.S. National Park Service

IRF and the U.S. National Park Service have executed a Cooperative Agreement which establishes thefoundation for programmatic collaboration between thetwo institutions. The Agreement was signed by theFoundation's president and Robert M. Baker, Directorof the Park Service's Southeast Regional Office.

Under the terms of the Agreement, in 1991 IRFtook over institutional sponsorship and management of along-term monitoring program of coral reef communitieswithin the Buck Island Reef National Monument in St.Croix. The project is part of the Park Service's regionalCoral Reef Assessment Program, directed by V.I. National Park research scientist Dr. Caroline Rogers, andwas formerly run by the West Indies Laboratory (WIL)in St. Croix, headed by Dr. Elizabeth Gladfelter.

Transects have been monitored every three monthssince late 1988, while individual colonies have beenmonitored for bleaching and other damage since Marchof 1989. Hurricane Hugo (September 1989) damage tothe coral colonies was reported on by WIL in its reporton the first two years of work.

The final project report, currently under preparation by principal investigator Dr. John Bythell, will bereleased early in 1992 by IRF and the National Park Service.

IRF staffers Jean-Pierre Bade (left) and Adrian Schottroff aboardthe Foundation's research vessel ODYSSEY at IRF's Red Hookdock in St. Thomas. ODYSSEY, first donated to IRF in 1984 bya Florida-based environmental film maker, recently underwent acomplete overall following extensive damage incurred duringHurricane Hugo in 1989.

1991 ANNUAL REPORT Page 5

IRF OUTREACH SERVICES

In 1991, the Foundation carriedout a variety of service activities notspecifically linked to ongoing programs. These included, in part:

Keynote address by IRF'spresident at the 30th anniversary meeting of the BritishVirgin Islands NationalParks Trust;

- Election of Judith Towle tothe Board of Trustees of theMukti Fund, a Florida-basedfoundation whose fundingactivities focus on the dual-island state of St. Kitts-Nevis;

Consultancy by Ed Towle forthe Inter-American Developmen t Bank , i n c l ud i ngpreparation of an environmental impact assessment fora $37 million out-island electrification project in theBahamas;

- A series of seminars and lectures by the IRF president atDalhousie University's Marine Affairs Program inHalifax, Canada;

Address by Ed Towle atthe annual convention ofthe Caribbean Hotel Association on eco-tourismand the need for visitorimpact mitigation;

Assistance to the Organization of American Statesand the St. ChristopherHeritage Society by IRFResearch Associate,George Tyson, includingestablishment of a computer-based inventory ofhistoric sites and otheramenity features as partof a tourism master planfor St. Kitts-Nevis.

Week-long tutorial seminar for CCA's marineparks project coordinator,Nick Drayton, includingvisits to the EasternCaribbean Center and theV.I. National Park andBiosphere Reserve, andbr iefings by Adr ianSchottroff, IRF's territorial park project coordinator.

1991 AWARD TO ALISSANDRA CUMMINS

The 1991 Euan P. McFarlaneLeadership Award was presented byIsland Resources Foundation to Ms.Alissandra Cummins of Barbados.This year's award recipient, currently the Director of the BarbadosMuseum and Historical Society, isan articulate and resourceful advocate for historical and culturalinstitutions in the Caribbean. Longactive as a regional leader for museum development, Ms. Cumminsplayed a key role in the establishment of the Museums Associa

tion of the Caribbean and servedas that organization's firstpresident.

The McFarlane Award forOutstanding EnvironmentalLeadership was first establishedby IRF in 1987 to providerecognition for young WestIndians (under 35 years of age)who have demonstrated environmental leadership in theEastern Caribbean. It includesan unrestricted $1,000 cash gift.

TOWLES HONOREDBY REGIONAL

CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

Edward and Judith Towle werehonored in August by the CaribbeanConservation Association as recipientsof CCA's Twenty-Five Year ServiceAward.

Presentation of the award wasmade at the 25th Annual GeneralMeeting of the Association in St. Croix.It was particularly appropriate thatCCA delegates convened in the VirginIslands for this anniversary meeting because the regional body grew out of aninitiative first spearheaded by the thenCollege of the Virgin Islands in themid-1960's. That idea culminated inthe first regional meeting of conservation leaders, held at Caneel Bay, St.John in 1965, a session which, in turn,gave birth to the Association two yearslater.

CCA Service Awards were given toseven individuals from throughout theregion in recognition of their long termcontributions to and interest in the Association. In addition to the Towles,other recipients were from Barbadosand from the Spanish-speaking, Dutch,and French Caribbean, thus pointing tothe multinational, multilingual composition of this regional organization.

Edward Towle was president of theAssociation from 1968-74. During thatperiod, both of the Towles were involved in early strategic planning initiatives and in laying the groundworkfor the ultimate emergence of CCA asa recognized leader for environmentalaffairs in the Wider Caribbean. Morerecently, the Towles played a leadingrole in implementing CCA's Environmental Profile Program for theEastern Caribbean.

Page 6 ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION

NGO PROGRAM COMPLETES SECOND YEAR

FOCUS ON NGO GRANTSMANSHIP SKILLS,FINANCIAL and TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,

AND BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVES

It has been five years since theIsland Resources Foundationlaunched its Eastern CaribbeanNGO Institutional DevelopmentProgram. Since that time, theFoundation has invested substantialresources in this initiative, based onits belief that a strengthen privatesector — in partnership with thepublic sector ~ will enhanceenvironmental leadership in the region. This is an ongoing IRF program objective which will continuewell into the 1990's.

During the last two years, primary funding for the Foundation'sNGO Program has been provided bythe U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), under afive-year matching fund grant.

NGO Directory Published

In April, IRF published an annotated Directory of Eastern Caribbean Environmental NGOs. With 55entries, it is the most complete guideavailable on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that supportconservation and resource management programs in the EasternCaribbean. It has been distributedas a public service to organizationsparticipating in IRF's NGO Program, but copies may also be purchased by contacting IRF's Publications Office in Washington, D.C.

Grantsmanship Workshop

The Foundation hosted a"grantsmanship workshop" forNGOs in June on the island ofAntigua. Sessions focused on those

grantsmanship skills needed for improved project planning and proposal writing, with participants beingled through a series of activities designed to improve their understanding of the basic building blocksof proposal design and preparation.

A manual, entitled ProposalWriting Overview for Eastern Caribbean NGOs, was prepared by IRFstaff for use at the workshop. It isavailable by writing NGO ProgramDirector, Bruce Horwith, at theFoundation's Program Office inAntigua.

Assistance To NGOs

Six institutional developmentgrants were awarded during 1991 byIRF as a part of its program of assistance to environmental NGOs.

- $1,405 to the CarriacouHistorical Society;

- $2,500 to the St. VincentNational Trust;

- $2,750 to the British VirginIslands National ParksTrust;

- $2,000 to the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society;

- $2,470 to the Small Projects Assistance Team(Dominica)

- $2,500 to the Antigua Historical and ArchaeologicalSociety.

Direct training and technicalassistance services were also provided to NGOs over the last 12months, including: the Antigua Environmental Awareness Group,Antigua Historical and Archaeological Society, Guiana Island Society (anew NGO in Antigua), North EastTimber Cooperative (Dominica),Dominica Conservation Association,Montserrat National Trust, St.Christopher Heritage Society, andthe Nevis Conservation and Historical Society. Several regional organizations also benefited from the services offered by the IRF NGO Program during 1991, including theCaribbean Water and WastewaterAssociation, the Museums Association of the Caribbean, and theCaribbean Conservation Associationwith whom IRF co-sponsored athree-month internship by Ms. KateIrvine, an environmental educational expert.

Biodiversity Initiatives

In response to a need to improve the biodiversity leadership ofCaribbean NGOs, Program DirectorHorwith worked with organizationsin Antigua, Dominica, and St. Kittsto design new biodiversity initiativesthat are linked to findings specifically identified in the recently published Country Environmental Profiles.

Each initiative focuses on anNGO-led research and monitoringprogram to protect the biologicalheritage of the target islands, withan emphasis on addressing a common regional problem — namely, thelack of an adequate environmentaldatabase for assessing developmentpressures on tropical ecosystems.With the assistance of IRF, proposals for the three biodiversity programs were prepared and submittedto external donors for support.

1991 ANNUAL REPORT Page 7

IRF'S ISLAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

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IRF plans to establish an advisory group to providecounsel on Wroten Island development. Various funding options for program activities are also being pursued. Those wishing more information on Wroten Island should contact Dr. Rosen or the Foundation'spresident, Ed Towle, at IRF's Washington, DC office.A short videotape on the island is available for viewing.

Wroten Island is one of three properties whichcomprise the Foundation's Island Stewardship Program.Other IRF land holdings are a barrier island beachfrontfacility for visiting researchers at Fire Island, New York,and 50 acres of coastal, dry evergreen woodlands on theisland of St. John adjacent to the Virgin Islands NationalPark. The latter was named the Nancy Woodson SpireNature Reserve in 1987 in honor of one of IRF's longstanding patrons.

Almost a decade ago, Wroten Island in theChesapeake Bay (see map above) was donated to the IslandResources Foundation. The 500 acre island possesses a richdiversity of estuarine habitats and, consequently, unique opportunities for programs in insular ecology. A two-storyfarmhouse can accommodate 10-15 persons dormitory-style,thus enhancing the island's potential utilization for researchand educational programs.

IRF research associate Dr. Walter Rosen, a biologistformerly affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences,has been investigating opportunities for more active use ofWroten by the Foundation. During the last six months Dr.Rosen has met with potential collaborators from theSmithsonian Institution, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation,and other groups interested in the programmatic potentialof Wroten.

A warm welcome awaits visitors to IRF's headquarters in St. Thomas where the Foundation'sV.l. office manager, Sandra Tate, has been onduty since 1979.

MEMBERSHIP and DONATION INFORMATION

Island Resources Foundationis a non-endowed, operatingfoundation, incorporated as atax exempt, non-profit organization under the laws of theUnited States. Contributions,including membership, aretax deductible in the UnitedStates. Contact the Foundation's headquarters in St.Thomas, Virgin Islands, formore information.

The Foundation reminds U.S.citizens that income and inheritance tax laws are designed to encourage "plannedgifts" to organizations such asIRF. Such contributions maybe made:• as gifts from current income• as donations of property,

stocks, bonds, insurance orannuities

• through bequests and wills.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES *INDIVIDUAL:

Associate Membership US$ 25Family Membership US$ 50Sponsoring Membership US$ 100Life Membership US$ 500

INSTITUTIONAL/CORPORATE:C o n t r i b u t i n g U S $ 2 0 0 .D o n o r U S $ 5 0 0 .P a t r o n U S $ 2 , 0 0 0 .

* 25% discount on publications for members

Page 8 ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION

INCOME - Fiscal Year 1991

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS (27.9%

MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS (3.8%)

USAID GRANT (20.8%)

OTHER INCOME (2.5%)

NON-GOVERNMENT GRANTS (45.0%)

EXPENSES - Fiscal Year 1991

TECH. ASSIST. PROG. (30.3%)DMINISTRATION (25.4%)

FUND RAISING (0.4%)

RESEARCH PROG. (8.6%)

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS (35.3%)

FINANCIAL NOTES

Fiscal Year 1991 (July 1, 1990 - June 30, 1991)was somewhat of a banner year for the IslandResources Foundation - for the first time in theorganization's history, revenues exceeded one-half million dollars for a 12 month period.

As the figure to the left indicates, almost two-thirds of IRF's income was received as grantrevenue and was linked to the implementationof specific Foundation programs. A smaller portion of income (a little over one-quarter) was derived from contract work undertaken for agencies of the U.S. or Virgin Islands governments.Less than five percent of revenue in FY 91 wasreceived as unrestricted contributions.

Of FY 91 expenditures, three-quarters was earmarked for direct program implementation.The remainder was used for day-to-day management costs, including maintenance of IRF'sunique library facilities in St. Thomas andWashington, D.C, and a very small portion forfund raising activities. The largest expenditurecategory, Resource Management Programs, included costs for execution of the CEP projectand two DPNR-contracted projects. Most expenditures within the Technical Assistance program category were related to implementationof the Foundation's Eastern Caribbean NGOProgram.

ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT

HEADQUARTERSRed Hook Center Box 33#11 Estate NazarethSt. Thomas, Virgin Islands00802 USATel: 809-775-6225; Fax: 809-779-2022

BRANCH OFFICE1718 P Street, NorthwestSuite No. T4Washington, D.C.20036 USATel: 202-265-9712; Fax: 202-232-0748

NGO PROGRAM OFFICEBruce J. Horwith, Program Directorc/o Antigua-Barbuda MuseumLong Street, Post Office Box 103St. John's, ANTIGUATel/Fax.: 809-460-1740

BOARD OF TRUSTEESEdward L. Towle, President Horace C. Hord, Jr.Henry Wheatley, Vice President Henry G. JareckiCharles W. Consolvo, Secretary Bruce G. PotterJudith A. Towle, Treasurer Rodger Schlickeisen

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFEdward L. Towle, PresidentJudith A. Towle, Vice PresidentSandra R. Tate, VI Office ManagerJean-Pierre Bade, DC Staff Representative