  The general public is invited to attend a Green Reef workshop on July 9th, 1999 at 2:00 p.m. at the Lions Den. During the meeting Green Reef will make its presentation of the Management Plan for the Bird Sanctuaries. This workshop completes Green Reef's responsibility to the Protected Area Conservation Trust (PACT) funding agency for the $25,000 grant they approved in June of 1998. This money was to be used to create a management plan for the Los Salones and Little Guana Caye bird sanctuaries. The purpose of the workshop is to create public awareness and gather community input towards the management of the site. Such a coordinated effort between the relevant stakeholders in the fisheries and tourism sectors will ensure that the site is well managed for the national and international public. The purpose of the draft management plan is to provide a framework for the management and protection of these bird sanctuaries. Once approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Community of San Pedro, it will be used as a strategic document by the reserve staff for the preparation of work plans in order to fulfill the stated goals and objectives of the site. The draft management plan is divided into 11 sections and include the following information: physical, biological and socio-economic information pertaining to the site; potential uses and any constraints and potential management problems that may develop during the implementation process; the goals, objectives and general rules of the sanctuaries; staffing and budget for the day-to-day operation of the site; surveillance and enforcement of the rules for the site; and educational, interpretive and research programs planned for the site. An important management consideration described in the draft management plan is to extend the boundaries of the two bird sanctuaries to include the adjacent areas. The proposed extension will cover a total area of 24,468.2 hectares (60,460.92 acres) and include 12 additional cayes, the wetlands on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye and the marine waters that support these areas. The main reason for proposing this extension is to protect and manage the other nesting bird colonies and the feeding and roosting grounds that these birds depend on. This proposed expansion will not change or alter any existing guidelines, but will allow for additional funding to implement an overall management plan for the area so that those guidelines and regulations can be enforced.
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