SUCCESSFUL JORDANIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT STUDY TOUR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003385

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA, AND OES
STATE PASS TO USAID, EPA
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL/MEDEARIS
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE/INTERNATIONAL
INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/WASHBURNE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ETRD EAID PGOV JO
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL JORDANIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT STUDY TOUR
IDENTIFIES NEXT STEPS IN CAPACITY-BUILDING

Ref: Amman 3120


1. SUMMARY: A ten-person Jordanian delegation from the Ministry of
Environment (MOE),the Environmental Rangers, and the Royal Society
for Conservation of Nature (RSCN),participated in an October
22-November 4, 2008, Inspection and Enforcement study tour in the
U.S. The comprehensive study tour addressed many of the
professional needs of Jordan in terms of organizing the enforcement
structure, providing specialized training in investigation, and
prosecution as well as supporting technology like GPS devices. The
Jordanian team now has a clearer idea about its training and
equipment needs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be
organizing three follow-up training courses in 2009 focused on
criminal investigations, enforcement, and bolstering environmental
prosecutions. Post thanks the EPA for organizing the study tour as
well as the Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service for
their support and participation. END SUMMARY.

Interagency Agreement Drives Environmental Cooperation
-------------- --------------


2. The EPA organized an inspection and enforcement study tour for a
ten-person Jordanian delegation led by Col. Mahmmoud Al-Turk,
Director of the Environmental Rangers, and Ahmad Qatarneh, Assistant
Secretary General at the Ministry of Environment (MOE). In addition
to officials from the rangers and the MOE, the delegation included
representatives from the Royal Society for Conservation of Nature
(RSCN). The October 22-November 4, 2008 tour was organized under
the framework of an USAID-EPA-DOS interagency agreement (IAA) which
provides technical assistance to MOE, the Environmental Rangers, and
the Jordanian judiciary to improve environmental regulation
awareness, compliance and enforcement. A key component is
developing the institutional capacity in Jordan for sustainable
environmental governance. A major focus on ongoing cooperation will
be on increasing enforcement and compliance capacity of the rangers
through capacity building.


3. The study tour introduced the participants to U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) Patrol Structure and Duties in Protected Areas,
procedures followed by federal officials involving wildlife crimes,
timber theft investigations, and resources and technologies
available to U.S. enforcement officials. There was much discussion
on the applicability of U.S. enforcement procedures to the Jordanian
context. The program covered both brown and green issues and
included visits to the National Enforcement Investigation Center;
the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Jacksonville,
FL; the Ocala National Forest in Florida (OCALA); the Chattahoochee
National Forest in Atlanta, GA; and; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) New York offices. Participants were also asked to tackle
EPA case studies related to a wastewater treatment plant in
Philadelphia. These visits and case studies showcased enforcement
procedures and equipment used by U.S. environmental inspectors,
rangers, and investigators.

Jordanian Team Identifies Domestic Needs
--------------


4. The Jordanian delegation found the study tour to be
comprehensive in addressing their professional needs. Delegation
members told Emboffs that the meetings were very informative and
useful, and the field visits illustrated good environmental
practices. The delegation stressed the importance of implementing
appropriate training for Jordanians in enforcing environmental law
as well facilitating access to the right equipment. The experience
helped the delegation to identify several deficiencies in Jordan
such as the lack of training in handling dangerous chemical
materials and in dealing with unidentified pollutants, as well as
inadequate equipment for use in investigating crime scenes. The
participants also expressed their enthusiasm about seeing high-tech
equipment used by USFS rangers such as GPS devices. They were also
impressed by the level of interagency cooperation in the U.S. during
patrols and believed this would be needed in Jordan as well. The
Jordanian delegation is very thankful to the EPA for organizing the
study tour as well as the Department of Interior and the USFS for
their support and participation.

Follow up actions
--------------


5. The proposed January 2009 EPA visit will support continued
progress under the IAA and Post looks forward to that visit. A
December 14 meeting between the Rangers and USFS Jennifer Peterson
also resulted in several action items for both the GOJ and the USG:

AMMAN 00003385 002 OF 002



- The Environmental Rangers will provide a list of trainees for
participation in the next three workshops already scheduled for 2009
under the IAA related to criminal investigations, enforcement, and
bolstering environmental prosecutions.
- USFS will provide a list of the necessary equipment needed for the
new patrol vehicles by the Environmental Rangers.
- USFS will send the Environmental Rangers an invitation to its
Forests Fires Fighting Workshop to be held in Lebanon in February

2009.
- USFS proposed possible Environmental Rangers participation in an
Incident Command System (ICS) training which will be held in Lebanon
in 2009. The ICS training will assist the Rangers strengthening in
fire fighting capabilities.
- The rangers suggested including "illegal logging investigations"
in upcoming training courses to be conducted under the IAA.
- USFS will investigate the possibility of Jordanian participation
in a two-week intensive training course for investigations,
inspection, and enforcement in both green and brown issues at the
Federal Training Center.

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BEECROFT