• Thank you for arranging this meeting to discuss the important issues raised in your letter from August 28, 2015.
• USAID agrees with MENR that spatial planning is a critical issue for wildlife security, particularly given Kenya’s context of devolution to county levels and rapid development trajectory.  Therefore, we are willing to support MENR to develop the National Wildlife Conservation and Management Strategy and the preparation of three pilot county spatial plans for Kajiado, Narok, and Taita Taveta.
• USAID can offer support through the new USAID-U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Partnership to End Wildlife Poaching and Trafficking in East Africa, which includes a planned MOU between DOI and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) SERVIR Kenya program, which promotes the integration of climate science and geospatial technology into decision-making, could also support the spatial planning.
• I would appreciate your thoughts and guidance on how this support should be coordinated with your Ministry and the three county governments for effective results. 
• I’m also aware that the Wildlife Corridors Task Force Report may be a critical source of information to inform the National Wildlife Conservation and Management Strategy and county spatial plans. I would be grateful for your clarification on whether the report is now endorsed by your Ministry and whether it is publicly available? Your views on whether your Ministry plans to implement the report would be helpful.

 Updates on USAID programs:

• • Congratulations on Kenya’s submission of its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. USAID is proud to have supported the process through the Low Emission Climate Resilient Development Strategies program. I’m pleased the program is on track and has recently accomplished other significant milestones such as development of Minimum Energy Performance Standards and equipping of the National Climate change Resource Center.
  • The US Government is very supportive of Kenya’s efforts to tackle climate change, as President Obama mentioned in his address to the Kenyan people during his visit in July. We are therefore keen for your insights on the Ministry’s plan going in to COP21 this December (Qs).
  • As you know, USAID is the largest donor in the wildlife sector, and recently assumed the chairmanship of the Development Partners Wildlife Issues Group. We plan to announce a new five-year $20 million award to the Northern Rangelands Trust to scale up anti-poaching and biodiversity conservation efforts. We will also expand our support for community conservancies into the Masaai Mara with a new $5 million award under our Community Conservancies Seed Grant Support Program. Another $2 million award will support an analysis of the legal and policy framework for community conservancies, and design an implementation strategy for priority policies and regulations.
  • USAID is in the process of planning a new direct award to KWS, but this requires a financial assessment first. In the interim, we will continue our activities with KWS through the USAID-DOI partnership agreement.
  • Our five new research awards under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research were announced earlier this year in July. Through the PEER awards, American and Kenyan scientists will work together to develop innovative responses to wildlife-management challenges through the Kenya Wildlife Service, the National Museums of Kenya and the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology.

 Background:

• The Wildlife Corridors Task Force Report was prepared by MENR and presented to the Development Partners Wildlife Issues Group (a donor group focused on wildlife issues currently chaired by the USAID Environment Office) on May 8, 2015. There have been long delays in the process of developing the Report, and to date it has not been officially published. This meeting is an opportunity to press CS Wakhungu on how she plans to move the Report forward.
• USAID has a strong partnership with MENR through the Low Emissions Climate Resilient Development program, which supports the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan to enhance Kenya’s low carbon climate resilient development. The program supported Kenya to submit its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has supported the operationalization of the National Climate Change Research Center and minimum energy standards for energy efficiency.
• USAID’s Building Capacity for Climate Resilient Water Towers program operates through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to improve the management of Kenya’s five critical water towers. The program works closely with the Kenya Forest Service, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and the Kenya Meteorological Services to build capacity for watershed management and biodiversity conservation.