Overview
Morocco’s beautiful forests are home to many of the world’s unique and endangered plant and animal species, including the Barbary macaque, cork, argon and truffles.  The US Forest Service (USFS) cooperates with Morocco’s High Commission on Water, Forests and Combating Desertification (HC) to support their efforts to conserve these special ecological sites and advance natural resource conservation by providing technical assistance and exchange opportunities for Moroccan professionals.  This work has been made possible over the years through support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Morocco and most recently, the US Department of State (DOS).  The USFS manages a large number of Mediterranean and desert landscapes and shares many of Morocco’s natural resource management challenges in those areas.  Over the last four years, USFS has partnered with the HC, a government agency mandated with managing Morocco’s water and forested areas.  Activities have focused on information systems, watershed management and overgrazing through technical assistance visits and seminar participation.

Why Does the US Forest Service Work in Morocco?
Morocco’s forests are facing rapid rates of deforestation due to overgrazing, illegal timber harvesting, forest fires, desertification and population growth.  These forests were historically an important source of livelihoods for rural communities and their rapid decline is a critical concern for economic development in Morocco.  Overgrazing represents the greatest threat to Morocco’s forests and the most critical challenge threatening the health and sustainability of lands managed by the High Commission.  Grazing is currently at levels far beyond the land’s carrying capacity, greatly reducing regeneration and efficacy of reforestation programs, in turn leading to increased erosion and costly siltation problems in Morocco’s waterways and dams.  This situation poses a serious threat to Morocco’s water security, which is already exacerbated by desertification processes. 

High Commission official estimates indicate that current grazing levels in Morocco are four times greater than the land’s carrying capacity.  If grazing continues at this intensity, the other natural resource management goals and objectives of the HC and the Government of Morocco, including water quality regulation, rural economic development, expansion of ecotourism and agricultural advancement, will be threatened as forests are lost.  The USFS manages a number of Mediterranean landscapes with a mandate to safeguard watersheds in the US by regulating excessive grazing and deforestation.  USFS shares many of Morocco’s natural resource management challenges in those areas and has much to gain through cooperation with the Government of Morocco.

Through support and partnership with the US Department of State Oceans, Environment and Science Bureau (DOS) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), USFS cooperates with the Moroccan High Commission on Water, Forests and Combating Desertification (HC) on forest conservation programs to help conserve Morocco’s unique biodiversity.  Over the last four years, USFS has worked with the HC on grazing management, watershed management, and information systems.  USFS, in conjunction with DOS and the HC will begin two new programs in 2010 focusing on curbing overgrazing using adaptive management strategies and developing an emergency preparedness system with the Government of Morocco.

Recent US Forest Service Activities
Information Management Systems
USFS data management specialists assisted the High Commission with developing a centralized information system that links HC headquarters to its regional entities.  The centralized system ensured laws and policies complement HC strategies and ground activities which in turn guides the HC to become a better partner.  USFS was in a unique position to assist with this task, as it originally used a decentralized, regional system to communicate information and recently converted to a centralized system.

Grazing Management
USFS rangeland specialists provide technical support to the HC on grazing management strategies.  In 2009, a USFS technical assistance mission went to Morocco to work with the HC to develop methods for grazing management using time-controlled rest rotation systems and adaptive management.  Morocco invests heavily in reforestation projects and is turning to community involvement to aid with sustainable grazing management by paying tribal leaders to rest land.  This incentives-based program organizes communities into grazing associations, allowing pastures time to rest for sustainable use and has proven highly successful since its implementation.

Most recently, a USFS sponsored delegation from the High Commission participated in a study tour in Utah and Idaho on sustainable grazing management.  The delegation explored USFS strategies to manage grazing on public and private lands by interacting with Forest Service personnel and participating in field visits to national forests and private ranches. 

New Areas of Engagement

Range School
Shifting from traditional livestock carrying capacity calculations, USFS range conservationists and the HC will collaborate with local communities and grazing associations to encourage grazing management through educational training programs in basic range ecology.  Range School is an educational tool, adapted to train local community livestock producers in conjunction with natural resource managers.  Range school enables herders and foresters to connect watershed health and forestry to range management and thus become better stewards of their land.  It provides an integrated and comprehensive approach to rangeland management and forest conservation by utilizing a sustainable approach to land management.

Emergency Preparedness
The Government of Morocco requested USFS assistance with emergency preparedness during disasters.  Through support from DOS, USFS will assist the Government of Morocco to develop a centralized communication system to reduce Morocco’s vulnerability to national level emergencies and prepare emergency officials when disaster strikes.  USFS will help implement an emergency preparedness and response training program that will function similarly to the models at local, state, and federal levels in the US and meld together resources and expertise from a multitude of agencies to form one command structure for emergency response.

Partners

• High Commission on Water, Forests and Combating Desertification

• US Department of State Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science

• US Agency for International Development

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