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Notes from the Director
A Decade of Conservation from the Ridges to the Reefs in Pohnpei
In celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) it is inspirational to share the tremendous progress achieved over a decade of conservation in Pohnpei, FSM. CSP was born on July 20, 1998 and became the first ever grassroots conservation NGO in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Its pioneering examples have become a model for aspiring NGOs in the FSM and the wider region. Today each state in FSM has established a grassroots conservation organization based on the CSP model (KCSO in Kosrae, CCS in Chuuk and YapCap in Yap). This milestone achievement could not have happened without great support from so many organizations, individuals, PohnpeiState, traditional leaders and the communities CSP serves. Thank you for your partnership in making a Decade of Conservation from Ridges to Reefs in Pohnpei a great success!
In the words of a founding member Bill Raynor, “in my wildest dreams I could not envision CSP as it is today.” This reflection stands for other members of the CSP Board and the staff who currently serve CSP. The Conservation Society of Pohnpei embodies the spirit of a local, community-led approach to resource management. For ten years, CSP has supported local communities in their efforts to better manage their resources for their own benefit and the larger benefit of our island and future generations. I am delighted to share a few of the milestone achievements in Pohnpei. Today Pohnpei has 11 community based Marine Protected Areas each at different levels of management, there has been significant progress in the management of Pohnpei’s 5,100 hectares of Watershed Forest Reserve, in general there is increased environmental awareness and education taking place in Pohnpei mobilizing communities for positive participation in caring for Pohnpei and we have gained a significant scientific understanding from research for effective policy formulation and site management for a strong direction forward in managing our natural heritage.
Governor John Ehsa of Pohnpei State in his keynote address on the Society’s anniversary fully applauded the efforts taken by CSP, “my administration recognizes CSP as a local conservation leader that brings substantial resources to biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood development on Pohnpei, and I pledge that the State Government will do all that it can to continue to support and grow the effort that CSP has begun in Pohnpei.” The next ten years is even more exciting and calls for active participation of communities, traditional leaders, local governments and everyone on Pohnpei to make protecting Pohnpei their business.
This past decade of working together to preserve our natural heritage from the ridges to reefs fills us with hope and confidence that together with our partners our effort to support and encourage the communities of Pohnpei to conserve their natural heritage will not be in vain. CSP is fully committed to continue working with our partners and communities to sustainably preserving Pohnpei’s natural heritage for future generations.
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