The Rene Mouawad Foundation (RMF) CEO, MP Michel Maouwad, sponsored yesterday the completion of ‘Promoting rural tourism and sustainable management of forests in Batloun-Shouf’ initiative. The latter, to note, is funded by USAID and implemented by RMF in partnership with the Municipality of Batloun as well as Al Shouf Cedar Society. Mouawad on the occasion underlined the importance of the USD 175,000 project in transforming one of Lebanon's main forests from a source of firewood to a source of sustainable income through ecotourism, pointing to the rehabilitation of the 20 km walking trail to this effect. The project has once again, reaffirmed the competence of the local authorities as a core for transparent and effective development, Mouawad said. With modest potentials, we have managed to secure a local economic cycle and create jobs for the town’s youth, he concluded. (Al Diyar, August 21, 2019)