Established in 1988, The Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT) is a non-governmental organization and charity with a mandate to conserve Jamaica’s natural environment.
The activities of the JCDT centre on the 41,198 hectares (101, 313 acres) of rain and cloud forest that make up the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park including it's core, Preservation Zone which covers 26,251 hectares (65,000 acres) and is inscribed as a World Heritage Site. In addition JCDT's work focuses on the approximately 28,494 hectares of land around the protected area called the Community Buffer Zone.
The Trust receives about 30% of the annual budget for the National Park from the Government of Jamaica through the National Resources Conservation Authority and the National Environment and Planning Agency. The JCDT relies on grants, donations and income from the National Park’s recreational areas to finance the full cost of the park management programme.
Since its inception, the JCDT has partnered with several bi- and multi-lateral agencies, foundations and businesses, including: American Bird Conservancy, Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, Inter-American Development Bank, Jamaican Energy Partners, Jamaica National Parks Trust Fund, MacArthur Foundation, Sandals Foundation and United States Agency for International Development on conservation initiatives for the National Park. The JCDT has over 25 years of experience developing and managing environmental projects.
Mission Statement
We advance environmental conservation and sustainable development with a focus on the Blue andJohn Crow Mountains National Park for the benefit of Jamaica and our people
