VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLC #0495/01 3160718
ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY ADD79921 MSI3801-695)
R 120718Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1517
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000495 
 
SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D COPY GARBLED TEXT 
DEPARTMENT FOR A/C FOR LISA KORTE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL GB
SUBJECT: GABON: NATIONAL PARKS FACING SIGNIFICANT 
CHALLENGES; NEW PARKS DIRECTOR OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE 
 
REF: 09 LIBREVILLE 00481 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eunice Reddick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Gabon's newly-appointed director of the 
National Parks Agency (ANPN), biologist and environmentalist 
Dr. Lee White, reviewed the current status of the parks 
authority, anticipated next steps to develop eco-tourism and 
the parks, and provided a general background on the status of 
ANPN to the Embassy.  White noted that ANPN is officially 
attached to the Ministry of Forests, but due to a strong 
personal interest from President Ali Bongo, the agency now 
unofficially answers to the Presidency.  He was upbeat on the 
prospects for improving the management and protection of the 
13 national parks in Gabon (10 percent of Gabon's territory) 
even though underfunding, poor administration, and 
mismanagement of the parks has left them unprotected and, in 
some cases, facing financial disaster.  Noted American 
environmentalist, Michael Fay, is joining ANPN as a technical 
director.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------- 
ANPN Under New Management 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Dr. Lee White, newly appointed director of the 
National Parks Agency (ANPN) and former Gabon country 
director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), met with 
the Ambassador and emboffs on November 5. He noted that 
Gabon,s new President, Ali Bongo, has been committed to the 
national park system in Gabon since its creation by President 
Omar Bongo in 2002 and is very interested in revitalizing the 
development of Gabon's 13 national parks.  Along with 
numerous other changes Ali Bongo has made in the way Gabon's 
government operates (reftel),  he  created more direct 
oversight from the Presidency in order to reverse the neglect 
of the park system, and placed White as the director of ANPN 
and as an advisor to the Presidency.  White said he did not 
believe that his appointment at ANPN contradicted the 2007 
National Parks law regarding the status of ANPN, which he 
helped draft.  He said that the President is still 
considering options for ANPN's placement, but that for now 
ANPN is technically under the administration of the Ministry 
of Forests, as per the law.  White said that he answers 
directly to the President, but also to the Minister of 
Forestry and the Minister of Planning.  While there are 
questions about the legality of the move of ANPN as a 
de-facto organization under the Presidency, White said that 
the legal issues would be "worked out" and that direct 
attention by the President is "definitely a good thing."  He 
also noted that President Bongo is reluctant to make any 
changes to existing law. 
 
¶3. (SBU) White will answer to the President and receive 
funding through the Ministry of Forests, but also have to 
work closely with the Ministries of Budget, Economy and 
Planning.  White noted that in the past ANPN had difficulty 
making policy for the parks since it had to work across 
multiple ministries.  While still technically the case, 
White's new role as an advisor to the President and the 
President's willingness to take the lead on issues relating 
to ecotourism and national parks will help streamline the 
process.  No policy statement has been made and White does 
not anticipate ANPN physically relocating to the Presidential 
Palace. 
 
---------------------------- 
Parks Facing Many Challenges 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) White painted a dismal picture of the current 
situation.  He said there was zero progress made over the 
last year with the parks system and that the lodge in Loango 
National Park, one of the few parks developed for tourism 
with a private sector partner, is on the verge of closing due 
to differences over payments between the government and the 
lodge's owner, Dutch eco-entrepreneur Rombout Swanborn. 
Swanborn recently moved his Africa's Connection planes from 
Gabon to Sao Tome where he runs the Omali Lodge and the Bom 
Bom Resort in Principe. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) There are a total of 15 conservators/park wardens 
working across the country to manage the 13 parks ) over 10 
percent of Gabon's territory.  Each park is supported by 4 ) 
12 poorly educated and trained staff working with little or 
no logistical support.  The parks suffer from undeveloped 
infrastructure, including roads and accommodations.  White 
also noted that the administration of the parks was 
mishandled over recent years, leaving the parks very poorly 
managed both at ANPN and on the ground.  According to White, 
this 10 percent of Gabon's territory is secured by a handful 
of people with little or no budget. 
 
--------------- 
The Way Forward 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (C) White will seek to downsize ANPN's presence in 
Libreville to place more resources in the field and staff 
development.  Additionally, he will seek to relieve stress 
between the conservators and international environmental 
non-governmental organizations (Note: Organizations active in 
Gabon's park include WCS and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).  End 
note).  This process would include formalizing which 
organizations are working in the parks and what their 
specific mandates allow.  The government will also seek to 
standardize how concessions to operate businesses in the 
parks are granted and managed.  Emboffs highlighted the 
recent visit of a U.S. Forest Service team to advise the 
government on park concessions. 
 
¶7. (C) White announced that environmentalist Michael Fay 
agreed to join ANPN as the technical director.  Fay's mandate 
is to help modernize the system of conservators and support 
staff of guides and guards.  This would include the 
development and training of professional park rangers ) 
possibly attached to the gendarmerie.  Fay was instrumental 
in the creation of Gabon's park system and has substantial 
expertise in park management, according to White. White noted 
that the way forward would continue to be based on the 
"Vision for Gabon" plan developed under the auspices of WCS 
and private foundation funds. 
 
¶8. (SBU) ANPN is putting together a budget request that is 
ten times larger than previous years.  ANPN will receive 
funding from at least two different budgets, a "functioning" 
or operating budget via the Ministry of Forests and a 
separate "investment" budget.  ANPN is interested in 
improving cooperation with donors, including the United 
States. Ambassador and emboffs noted ongoing assistance to 
Gabon and other Congo Basin Forestry Partnership (CBFP) 
countries from USG through the Central African Regional 
Program for the Environment (CARPE). 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (C) White paints a realistic and disappointing picture for 
the current status of Gabon,s national parks and there is no 
doubt that there is a lot of work to be done.  Gabon's 
national parks were established under the late President Omar 
Bongo with much fanfare, but with no capacity within the 
Gabon government to develop them.  USG agencies assisted with 
the development of legislation for the parks, and national 
park management.  The USG, EU, Japan and other donors have 
funded park activities of WWF, WCS and other international 
NGOs.  White's commitment and Ali Bongo's direct interest 
offer a significant opportunity for the languishing nascent 
parks system and ecotourism to be revitalized.  The issue is 
a priority and is on the agenda of a government-wide retreat 
held at Lope National Park November 12-14.   (Bio Note: White 
is a UK citizen, but also holds a Gabonese passport.) 
REDDICK