Purpose of the PA-CAT:To provide information and guidance in support of establishment and management of comprehensive protected areas systems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Role/Tasks:
Short-term• Build an open-access national protected areas database consistent with the IUCN classification system applied to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and determine what lands and marine extents are currently under protection and by what mechanisms.• Develop a conservation strategy that standardizes the language used for discussing protected areas in Puerto Rico, details the existing and potential mechanisms and tactics for protection (i.e., acquisition, easements, land use, donation) based on the database, and defines which entities in the PA-CAT will do what to work towards the goal of increasing the amount of protected areas or enhance the current management of areas actively managed in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Long-term• Working with existing groups in the territory, provide guidance on the establishment of the institutional framework for protected areas development in the USVI (Parks and Protected Areas System Development and Advancement)• Develop standardized methodology and conduct a review of co-management initiatives in the Caribbean, in order to identify best practices that could be applied in Puerto Rico and the USVI by governmental and non-governmental entities.• Facilitate a cohesive and ongoing dialogue regarding protected areas development in the two jurisdictions, as well as cooperation between the two territories.• Assist in the identification of marine protected areas (MPAs) that could serve to improve reef resilience and other critical ecosystem functions.• Assist in the identification of sites to be listed under regional and international multilateral environmental agreements.• Collaborate with Caribbean regional protected areas institutions and networks in the development of a comprehensive database of terrestrial and marine protected areas in the Wider Caribbean Region.
