Dear MP,

I am writing to ask for your support to champion:

1. ensuring that the budget allocation for forest conservation and management in the national 2024/2025 budget delivers benefits for the Jamaican people, environment and economy.
2. recognising and supporting the value and economic benefits of civil society’s work in delivering on national priorities for forest conservation and management to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and value for money; and
3. embracing participatory budgeting for the forest sector to deliver the national budget at the local level, as involving civil society is critical for sustainable development with improved governance, accountability, strengthened citizen engagement and democracy.

Given the multiple challenges facing Jamaica, forests play a vital social and economic function, including:

• supporting rural livelihoods and key economic sectors, especially tourism, agriculture, water and energy;
• providing ecosystems services such as clean air and water that are critical for the wellbeing of all of Jamaicans and supporting agriculture and fisheries for food security, as well as playing a pivotal role in climate change adaptation and mitigation; and
• protecting Jamaica’s natural heritage, as much of our precious biodiversity is contained in forests.

The 2024/2025 budget includes support for forest conservation and management, including through the work of the Forestry Department and the National Environment and Planning Agency as well as external assistance supporting Programme 102 – Forest Conservation and Programme 185 – Environmental Management and Climate Change. Engaging civil society as partners in designing, delivering and monitoring results of projects and programmes under the 2024/2025 budget will ensure efficiency, effectiveness and value for money in delivering on specific targets in the 2024/2025 budget regarding reforestation and forest rehabilitation, improving livelihoods and food security in vulnerable communities, and building resilience to climate change.

I am writing this letter in support of the ongoing work of Jamaica’s CSO Coalition for Forests, which is a collaborative effort comprising 27 civil society organisations (CSOs) in Jamaica dedicated to advancing democracy, citizen engagement in forest decision-making and helping to increase the share of public and private spending that benefits forests and forest-based communities.

Research by the Coalition has found that the conservative estimated value of the contribution of civil society organisations to forest conservation and management in Jamaica in 2022 was US$2 million and voluntary/in-kind contributions were more than three times the grant funding provided to Local Forest Management Committees (LFMCs) in Jamaica. A collaborative approach is therefore key to leverage and enhance the contribution of civil society and ensure that additional burdens are not placed on the public sector to conduct work currently being implemented by civil society.

Given your significant role in facilitating the development of robust, sustainable, and resilient communities, your support for ensuring accountability and impact of Jamaica’s investment in forest conservation and management is crucial. As my elected Representative, who represents me in the Parliament, I ask you to call for development of strategies and mechanisms to ensure that the 2024/2025 budget for forest conservation and management is delivered in collaboration with civil society and citizens to ensure maximum efficiency, effectiveness and value for money.

Sincerely,