KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government has successfully achieved its target of planting 3,000 trees along Lady Musgrave Road, East King’s House Road and Arthur Wint Drive in St Andrew.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, made the disclosure while addressing the commissioning and handover of a tree-relocation device at the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday.

The tree-planting project was undertaken to offset the anticipated damage or loss of trees due to major road expansion works to be implemented along the targeted corridors.

It is part of the broader National Tree Planting Initiative (NTPI) aimed at replenishing Jamaica’s forest cover.

“We did the assessment of what the carbon capture could be, what the loss of tree cover could be, and we assessed that to be sure that we replenished and replaced, we would plant 1,500 trees; that’s what the assessment highlighted we needed to do.

“Well, as of today, we have planted 3,000 trees within a kilometre of the sites where the roads will be expanded,” Samuda said.

He noted that Jamaica’s forest cover has increased, and the country has now achieved some 25 per cent of its terrestrial land being protected, with plans to go further.

He said that the Long Mountain Reserve will be formally declared this calendar year, as the Government continues to put in place measures to provide legal protection for forested areas.

“We’ve also indicated… that to preserve particular green spaces in our major urban centres and townships we will be looking at particular areas that are suitable to be declared forest management areas,” Samuda said.

He informed that the mapping exercise for the Constant Spring Golf Club to be declared a forest management area has been completed and the relevant documents will be presented to the prime minister for signing “very soon”.

— JIS