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. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman BEECROFT