Minister Doran Reappoints Nature Foundation as Ecosystem Authority

On May 13 th , the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, Egbert Doran,
signed the continuation of a service level agreement with the Nature Foundation in which the organization is
granted the authority to manage the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Sint Maarten and provide related
services to the Ministry. Minister Doran and Jan Beaujon, Chairman of the board of the Nature Foundation,
signed the agreement during a brief ceremony at the Government Administration Building.
Since 2014, the Nature Foundation has been appointed the Scientific and Management Authority of Sint
Maarten, as related to the CITES convention, and as required through the National Ordinance for nature
management and protection. As such, the Ministry of VROMI had maintained this service level agreement
with the foundation to support the execution of these executive tasks.
Areas of responsibility bestowed upon the foundation through this updated agreement include research and
advice, site inspection and enforcement (on matters related to the management of the natural
environment), active park management, public outreach, and protection of (endangered) species. Specific
tasks in these areas include maintenance of dive moorings, fisheries management, sea turtle nesting and
beach monitoring, and providing advice to the government in all matters related to the management of the
natural environment, including the impacts of developmental activities.
In addition to the routine tasks and services to be rendered by the Nature Foundation, this agreement
includes additional support for the management of invasive species, and more specifically, the management
of the invasive vervet monkey. This comes following the results of the foundation’s monkey management
project in 2021. The Ministry of VROMI is pleased to maintain this positive working relationship with the
Nature Foundation, and looks forward to continued progress towards pursuing the sustainable management
of the natural environment.