The United States Forest Service (USFS), the Uzbekistan State Forestry Committee (SFC), and the Green World Future NGO kicked off a three-day series of workshops on September 13 in Sukok Reserve in Parkent District of Tashkent province.
USFS sent a team of three forest experts – Leah Lord, Autumn Ela and Matthew Phillips – to cover a variety of topics relating to park development, including recreation site planning, trail design and rehabilitation, nature interpretation and education, and community engagement.
More than 20 participants from around the country gathered in Sukok to learn about creating a park from start to finish. Sukok Reserve currently has little infrastructure and serves as the ideal classroom for learning about park design from the ground up. “We are excited to work and share experience with Uzbek rangers and specialists from established parks, like Zaamin and Ugam-Chatkal National Parks, who displayed a keen interest in learning how the USFS manages its parks and how Uzbekistan’s park leaders my apply these lessons,” Program Manager Leah Lord noted.
The U.S. Forest Service International Programs promotes sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation internationally. The United States benefits from work overseas, through bringing back innovative technologies, addressing cross-boundary environmental problems, and taking advantage of opportunities to deepen USFS’s expertise.
