VZCZCXRO5570
RR RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
DE RUEHAM #3385/01 3631347
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281347Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4035
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 2961
RUEHDOI/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC

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