Joe Aitaro, Protected Areas Network Coordinator of Palau in a statement said that the fund is now $1.3 million.
We have 1.3 million in a fund, which has come from the Green fee alone. Then we have the endowment which is what we have raised to make the Micronesia Challenge happen. When you combine those two figures together we have close to two million dollars,”Aitaro stated.
“It took us almost four years to work with the community and the people, and then we had to work with our government to put this Green fee into effect and raise support for it. Now it’s done and showing good results, I am pleased! It was worth it,” he said.
The Green Fee is part of the $35 departure tax for non-Palauan passport holders to pay when leaving the country. Of this amount $15 is the Green Fee that is paid into a national account managed by the Protected Area Network Fund (PANF) board of directors. Community conservation groups are now submitting applications for the $1.3 million which has been raised in a nine- month period.
PAN stated that there are 23 conservation sites to preserve the marine and land based environment of Palau under their protected areas network.
According to PAN, Palau has approximately 1,269 species and varieties of plants in Palau, of which 830 species are native. It has 141 species of birds of which 20 different types are endemic and it has 40 species of freshwater fish of which four are endemic.
Palau is a member of the Micronesia Challenge which is a commitment by the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam and the Northern Marians to effectively conserve at least 30percent of the near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia, by 2020.
There is 6.7 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean is covered by the Micronesia Challenge which represents more than 20percent of the Pacific islands region. 1,300 species of fish live in the waters of Micronesia along with 60 percent of all known corals. On land, Micronesia combined has 85 species of birds, half of them are endemic and 1,400 species of birds for which 200 different types are endemic.’
The green fee will help fund necessary activities to keep the protected areas in the Palau network going.
To date there are now applications before the board for six of the community conservation areas.
The House version of FY2011 measure wants immediate disbursement PAN funding.
At present, $790,328 designated for PAN has already been accumulated.
Of the country’s $58,369,000 proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011, approximately $1,175,000 will go to the PANF for the management and implementation of PAN to eligible sites and projects.
The House version stated that a total of $230,000 will be appropriated to several states and sites for institutional capacity and development of PAN. Fifty thousand dollars will be appropriated to Ngarchelong State for start-up costs involved in implementing the Ebiil PAN site and Northern Reefs management plans. Another $50,000 will go to Ngiwal State for developing PAN site regulations, awareness and completion of the management plan. Fifteen thousand dollars of which is for legal assistance to Kelulul a Kiuluul.
Melekeok and Hatohobei States will also get $50,000 each for institutional building and refining of the Lake Ngardok PAN site management plan and for Helen Atoll, respectively.
Aimeliik, Ngatpang and Ngaremlengui States will share a total of $30,000 to update and strengthen governance for the Ngermeduu Bay Conservation Area and watershed protection.
Subject to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Delegates’ approval, different government departments and agencies will get a total of $550,000 to facilitate operations of PAN.
