Maps

The (designated) Cockpit Country Protected Area

This map was presented by Jamaican Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness O.N., M.P., in Parliament on November 21, 2017. A copy of this map was received through an Access to Information request by the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) to the Government of Jamaica’s Forestry Department. The blue line represents the Cockpit Country Protected Area (CCPA) designated boundary. Before the CCPA boundary can be declared (gazetted) under Jamaican law it must go through a process called ground-truthing.

The Cockpit Country Geomorphological Boundary 

A Cockpit Country Geomorphological boundary (purple line) was also presented by Prime Minister Holness on November 21, 2017. This boundary was identified by Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee, Jr. in 2005, based on geomorphology. It excludes Maroon communities Accompong, Maroon Town, Cuffie Ridge, Quashies River Sink and Mahogany Hall. Points of interest/priority heritage sites (red triangles) and some towns (orange dots) have been added to the map presented by the Prime Minister in 2017.

The (designated) Cockpit Country Protected Area with Historical Sites

Heritage Sites illustrated (red triangles) are those which have been identified by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust in its 2009 Cockpit Country Heritage Survey Report. A large number of these sites have been excluded from the CCPA.

The (designated) Cockpit Country Protected Area with caves and underground water flows 

On November 21, 2017 the Prime Minister also presented a map showing the locations of cave openings in the Cockpit Country landscape (red dots), to serve as a proxy for hydrology. The use of caves is helpful because a cave opening can often (but not always) lead to a water-filled, subterranean passage. Proven underground water flows (black arrows) have also been added.

The (designated) Cockpit Country Protected Area compared to the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group boundary 

In 2009 the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group (CCSG) defined a boundary (red line) for the Cockpit Country using geomorphology, hydrology, biological diversity, heritage. The CCSG is a consortium of civil society groups and individuals advocating for the protection of the Cockpit Country. The CCSG boundary was also proposed as the outermost boundary of the Cockpit Country buffer zone in a Government of Jamaica (GOJ) commissioned study by the University of the West Indies (UWI) in 2013. The CCPA boundary is illustrated by the darker blue line in the map below.

The CCSG boundary is also illustrated in the map below (purple line) in association with important Maroon locations (green dots). Unlike the CCPA (shaded yellow) and Cockpit Country Geomorphological boundary (shaded green), all these important Maroon locations are included in the CCSG boundary.

The (designated) Cockpit Country Protected Area with Special Mining Leases and Special Exclusive Prospecting Licenses

In his November 21, 2017 address to Parliament, Prime Minister Holness stated that the CCPA would be closed to mining. The Prime Minister showed the map below and indicated that the boundaries of the Special Mining Leases (SMLs) and Special Exclusive Prospecting Licenses (SEPLs) overlapping the CCPA boundary (blue line) would be ammended to reflect this.

The maps below illustrate the SMLs and SEPLs, we are aware of, which are associated with the Cockpit Country Protected Area (CCPA) (yellow line).

• The blue shaded area next to the CCPA boundary to the north east is SML – 173, which is currently held by New Day/Noranda Bauxite. This lease was granted by the Mines and Geology Division of the GOJ in 2018 and is currently the subject of an environmental impact assessment (EIA). Until an environmental permit is issued by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), no mining is to take place in this area.
• The small peach area within SML 173 is SML – 172. This lease is also held by New Day/Noranda. SML 172 was granted to that bauxite company in May 2017. Mining is currently taking place under this lease.
• SML 165 is shaded in orange. This lease was first issued to St Ann Bauxite Limited in 2004. Mining has also taken place under this lease.
• The (faint) purple boundary to the south west is SEPL 541, which we understand is currently held by JISCO/Alpart. We are unclear whether any ammendment has been made to the boundary of SEPL 541 (map received through Access to Information request in 2018) since the Prime Minister’s November 21, 2017 announcement of the CCPA boundary. 
• SEPL 578 is outlined in red with no shading. It was also held by Noranda Bauxite, but we understand that it was not renewed after it expired in June 2016.
• The yellow shaded area with black dashes to the south is SML 170. We have been informed by the Mines and Geology Division that this lease is not currently active. An access to information request to the Ministry of Transport and Mining for a copy of this lease is currently pending.

The CCSG boundary is also illustrated (purple line) in this map detailing the SMLs to the north east of the CCPA (yellow line)