Your work essential to our national well-being

SINCE 1937, the Forestry Department has been fulfilling a critical function in its effective management of our forests. The promotion of reforestation and the conservation of the forest ecosystems of Jamaica must continue to be a critical focal point of the conversation surrounding environmental protection.

Further, the promotion of public education programmes to improve understanding of the contribution of forests to our national well-being and national development must be supplemented by the establishment and maintenance of eco-friendly recreational facilities such as green parks in the urban centers. The discussion is indeed one of global importance as the United Nations has designed ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ to safeguard forests because they provide resources for sustenance and survival. Today, we are standing at the threshold of an imminent crisis. We cannot pretend for any longer that

the depletion of our forests and the consequential environmental hazards such as the Oxygen carbon dioxide imbalance, the disturbance of the water cycle, flooding, erosion and land slippage aren’t major hindrances to growth and development. There is also the interdependence of forest, global climate stability, and healthy living.

With the rapid climate change, global warming, and greenhouse effect, we must endeavour to increase awareness around the benefits of maintaining our forests as a means of environmental protection for the current and future generations.

As you celebrate your 80th anniversary, let me wish for you every success for the next chapter of your mission. PETER PHILLIPS Leader of the Opposition