Saint Lucia Forests and Land Resources Department Strategy 2015 – 2025.

The Forests and Land Resources Department Strategy is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach. The timeframe of the Strategy is 10 years between 2015 and 2025. The overall purpose of this Strategy is the preservation and sustainable use of forests, nature and their benefits in order to enable Saint Lucia more healthy and productive.
The Forests and Land Resources Department lays down strategies to make forestry more productive and sustainable in Saint Lucia. Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem preservation are the top priorities of the Department to ensure the protection of the species and their habitats and the integrity of the ecosystem services. Measures will be taken to strengthen the protection of threatened, endemic species and sub‐species, inside and outside the Forest Reserve, as well as to eliminate the introduction of invasive species on priority species, habitats and ecosystems. Innovative, collaborative approaches will be implemented to conserve and restore flora, fauna and habitats on private and public lands. Moreover, forests will be protected against illegal logging and the system for monitoring, documentation and reporting on the status of species, habitats and ecosystems will be strengthened.
Local livelihoods will be supported through regulated and sustainable use of defined forest areas. Sustainable non‐timber forest product projects will be developed for the benefits of local communities. Tourism activities in the Forest Reserve will be diversified to increase its contribution to local livelihoods and the economy. Community awareness will be raised on biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, and the protection of cultural heritage in and around the Forest Reserve, protected areas and project areas, to support local livelihoods whilst enabling more productive and sustainable forests. The participation of private forest owners in planning processes related to the sustainable forest management will be encouraged.
The impacts of climate change will be addressed in the forest protection, restoration and management strategies in order to sustain and enhance the vital regulating services provided by forests and other ecosystems. In addition, sustainable management and effective protection of coastal wetlands and mangroves will be strengthened to lessen the adverse impacts of climate change.
Institutional capacity of the Forests and Land Resources Department will be enhanced for effective and efficient governance, administration and financial management, as well as, for the effective implementation of this Strategy. This Strategy will be revised after 5 years and a new implementation plan will be developed.