Nett, Pohnpei – The chief executives of Micronesia recently signed an agreement formally establishing a Micronesia Challenge (MC) regional office and awarding it the full legal status necessary to operate as an official intergovernmental agency. The signing, which took place November 20th during the 10th Micronesian Chief Executives’ Summit in Pohnpei, also gives the office the capacity to function as a semi‐autonomous body under the auspices and direction of the Micronesia Challenge Steering Committee composed of national focal points from throughout the region.

“This agreement demonstrates the serious commitment the leaders of Micronesia have made to the Challenge and our overall dedication to effectively preserve our important natural habitats,” said Marion Henry, chair of the Steering Committee which serves the role of the Board for the Micronesia Challenge. “The new office will serve as a command center and allow us to coordinate our efforts in addressing the environmental and sustainable development issues confronting communities throughout Micronesia.”

As an intergovernmental agency, the MC office will have the ability to raise public and private funds, govern the disbursement of funds within each of the jurisdictions, enter into contracts, and acquire and dispose of its assets and properties.

Signers of the agreement included H.E. Emanuel Mori, president of the Federated States of Micronesia; H.E. Tommy E. Remengesau, president of the Republic of Palau; Hon. Tony deBrum, minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of the Marshall Islands; Hon. Felix P. Camacho, governor of Guam; Hon. Benigno R. Fitial, governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Hon. John Ehsa, governor of the State of Pohnpei; Hon. Robert Weilbacher, governor of the State of Kosrae; Hon. Wesley Simina, governor of the State of Chuuk; and Hon. Sebastian Anefal, governor of the State of Yap.

The agreement continues the collective momentum the Challenge has gained during the past year including the selection of Charlene Mersai as the first Micronesia Challenge Regional Coordinator. Mersai has ten years of conservation work experience and was most recently a researcher at the Palau international Coral Reef Center (PICRC). In September, the Republic of Palau received $1 million as the first payment from The Nature Conservancy’s $3 million pledge to sustainable funding for the Micronesia Challenge. Similar funds have also been pledged by Conservation International.

Already, the Micronesia Challenge, along with the Global Island Partnership – an international joint venture that assists islands in protecting their natural resources – has spurred more than 20 island countries throughout the Pacific, the Coral Triangle and the Caribbean to take more ambitious steps toward sustainable environmental conservation.

The Micronesia Challenge is a commitment by the Chief Executives of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near‐shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.

Covering 6.7 million square kilometers of ocean, the Micronesia Challenge represents more than 20% of the Pacific island region and 5% of the largest ocean in the world.

CEPF calls for applications from 10 countries and territories

Apia, 1 September 2008 – Today nature conservation in the Pacific received a major boost with the launch of a new $7 million, five-year investment in the Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot. This investment by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) aims to conserve the region’s biodiversity by engaging and building the capacity of non-governmental organizations. The investment will be managed through a partnership of CEPF and Conservation International’s Pacific Islands Program based in Apia, Samoa.

A first call for letters of inquiries for grants was also issued today for 10 countries and territories in the hotspot — Cook Islands, Easter Island (Chile), Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tonga and Tokelau — with a deadline of 10 October 2008. Full details of the application criteria and process can be found at www.cepf.net Other funding opportunities will be announced in due course.

“The current threats to the natural habitats and endemic species are unprecedented in this region,” says Mr. François Martel, Executive Director of Conservation International’s Pacific Islands Program. “Through this investment we hope to stem the tide of habitat degradation and loss of native biodiversity.”

The Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot is one of the most threatened of Earth’s 34 biodiversity hotspots, with only 21 percent of the region’s original vegetation remaining in pristine condition. The Hotspot faces a large number of severe threats including invasive species, alteration or destruction of native habitat and over exploitation of natural resources. The limited land area exacerbates these threats and to date there have been more recorded bird extinctions in this Hotspot than any other. In the future climate change is likely to become a major threat especially for low lying islands and atolls which could disappear completely.

“Invasive species of plants and animals are the scourge of the Pacific, impacting health and livelihoods of local people and threatening the remaining native habitats and species. By working in partnership with civil society and governments in the region, a great deal can be achieved over the next five years to protect these habitats and improve the standard of living for all,” says John Watkin, CEPF Grant Director.

The fund will focus on three main elements: the prevention, control and eradication of invasive species in key biodiversity areas; strengthening the conservation status and management of a prioritized set of 60 key biodiversity areas and building awareness and participation of local leaders and community members in the implementation of threatened species recovery plans.

Calls for proposals for projects in other countries and territories in the hotspot including French Polynesia, Marshall Islands, Pitcairn Islands and Wallis and Futuna are expected to be issued in the future.

Media contact:

Angela Kirkman, Conservation International, tel +61 7 4091 8804, akirkman@conservation.org

CEPF is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. CEPF will provide grants enabling non-governmental organizations, community groups, and other private sector entities to help conserve the hotspot. For more information, visit www.cepf.net

Conservation International (CI) applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth’s richest regions of plant and animal diversity and demonstrate that human societies can live harmoniously with nature. Founded in 1987, CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents to help people find economic alternatives without harming their natural environments. For more information about CI, visit www.conservation.org

Palikir, FSM – Charlene Mersai, an environmental veteran with more than 10 years experience in the conservation field, has been selected as the Micronesia Challenge Regional Coordinator, the Micronesia Challenge Steering Committee announced today. Mersai was most recently a researcher at the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC).

“Ms. Mersai brings a great deal of experience in the environmental field to the table,” said Marion Henry, Assistant Secretary with the FSM Department of Resources and Development and Chairman of the Micronesia Challenge Steering Committee. “Her in‐depth knowledge of research and conservation management issues combined with the positive working relationships she has already established with key environmental groups in the region will prove to be a tremendous asset in moving the Micronesian Challenge forward.”

While at the PICRC, Mersai’s responsibilities included leading the socio‐economic component of the marine protected areas pilot project, evaluation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) management effectiveness, and overseeing the national Mangrove Phytosociological Survey. Additional responsibilities included conducting underwater surveys, and the development of the Introductory Handbook for Biological and Social Monitoring of MPAs in Palau. Prior to her position at PICRC, Charlene worked with the Belau National Museum, the Palau Conservation Society, and the Koror State Government, all in conservation‐oriented
positions.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology & Biology from the University of Hawaii‐Hilo, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Ocean Resources Management from the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji.

The Micronesian Challenge Steering Committee also announced that Jeff Martin, a communications specialist with more than 20 years experience in the public relations field, has signed on to help direct communications outreach. Martin was previously the Director of Media Relations for the Council on Foundations where he provided strategic counsel to member foundations regarding national philanthropic issues and served as organization spokesperson.

Before joining the Council, Martin served as the Public Affairs Specialist for the Peace Corps. He has also worked with international firms including Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt, and Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. The Micronesia Challenge Steering Committee was established in 2006 to oversee the
regional coordination and implementation of the Micronesia Challenge, and is made up of the five Micronesia Challenge Focal Points appointed by the Chief Executives of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau, the Executive Director of the Micronesia Conservation Trust, and the Chairman of the Micronesia Challenge Support Team.

This in-depth article addresses the impact climate change is having on marine protected areas, such as increasing temperature and rising sea-levels, and offers insight on designing these networks to become resilient to this emerging threat.

A summary of Conservation International’s five-year investment strategy for the Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot, an enormous expanse of ocean covering more than 4,500 islands and representing 11 countries, eight territories and one U.S. state (Hawaii). This document is for background purposes only — the eligibility criteria and application process is outdated and past deadline.