Funding National

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Funding National Coral Reef Initiatives The U.S.
Coral Reef Task Force Experience Heidi
Schuttenberg. Roger Griffis ITMEMS, March 2003
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Catalyzing 1994 International Coral Reef
Initiative established
All Islands Coral Reef Initiative established.
1997 International Year of the
Reef. Initiating 1998 U.S. Task Force
established by Executive Order
13089. Gaining 2000 1st U.S. National
Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs Momentum
New funding for coral reefs ( 6 M NOAA).
Coral Conservation
Act becomes law. 2001 New
funding for coral reefs ( 27 M NOAA 10 M
DOI). 2002 Continued
funding ( 28 M NOAA 10 M DOI). Maintaining
1ST National Action Strategy to Conserve
Coral Reefs Momentum Puerto Rico
Resolution Passed at Oct USCRTF Meeting
2003 Presidents budget requests
coral funding (28 M NOAA).
Congressional budget includes coral
funds ( 26 M NOAA).
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• Catalyzing (1994-1998)
• International Events 1994-1998
• ICRI Established
• Call to Action Call for National Initiatives
• Year of the Reef
• Year of the Ocean
• U.S. States/Territories establish Coral
  Initiative
• Strong Constituencies
• International Scientific Community
• Domestic NGOs
• State/Territory All Islands Group

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• Initiating (1998)
• Executive Order 13089
• Establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force
• Map and monitor U.S. coral reef
• Research the causes consequences of degradation
• Reduce and mitigate coral reef loss
• Review adequacy of existing authorities and
• navigational aids
• Asses U.S. international role in coral reef
  protection.
• Promote conservation and sustainable use of coral
  reef
• ecosystem worldwide

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U.S. Coral Reef Task Force
Coral Reef Task Force 11 Federal Agencies 7
States territories, Commonwealths 3 Freely
Associates States
International Coral reef Initiative (ICRI)
All Islands Coral Initiative (ALCRI)
Steering Committee
Working Group
Coastal Uses
Education and Outreach
Mapping and Information
Water Air Quality
Ecosystem Science Conservation
International
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• Gaining Momentum (2000)
• U.S. National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs
• 13 Goal Areas
• Some Tangible Goals set
• Map all shallow water U.S. coral reefs by
  2007
• Develop a network of no-take MPAs
  protecting 5 U.S. reefs
• by 2002, 10 by 2005, and 20 by 2010.
• Coral Reefs Conservation Act
• Authorize Grant Programs
• Requires regular National Action Strategies to
  report progress
• 6 M NOAA

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National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs
(Blueprint For U.S. Action
(March 2002) Understand Coral Reef
Ecosystems Goal 1 Map all U.S. coral reefs
Goal 2 Assess, monitor and forecast reef
health Goal 3 Conduct strategy research
Goal 4 Understand social and economic factors
Reduce Impacts of Human Activities Goal
5 Improve use of marine protected areas Goal
6 Reduce Impacts of fishing Goal 7 Reduce
Impacts of coastal uses Goal 8 Reduce Impacts
of pollution Goal 9 Restore damage reefs
Goal 10 Improve outreach and education Goal
11 Reduce threats to international reefs
Goal 12 Reduce impacts from international trade
Goal 13 Improve coordination and
accountability
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• Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000
• (P.L. 106-562)
• Authorizes NOAA to establish
• National Coral Reef Action Strategy
• Coral Reef Grants Program
• Coral Reef Conservation Fund
• Emergency Response Fund
• National Coral Reef Program

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• Momentum (2001-2002)
• Top Spending Items for 2001-2002
• Monitoring 21
• Mapping 18
• Reduce Pollution (Marine Debris) 14
• NW III Reserve 12
• Research 11
• Reduce Fishing Impacts 9
• State/Territory Management Grants 6
• 27 M NOAA 10 M DOI (2001)
• 28 M NOAA 10 M DOI (2002)

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Mapping 2000 _at_10 U.S. reefs
characterized. Managers lack information on reef
condition. Objective Map all shallow U.S. reefs
by 2009. 2002 _at_70 shallow U.S. reefs mapped.
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Progress MPA s increase in reef area under
protection since 1998 NW Hawaiian Island
(1200 100 nm) USVI St. Croix East End
Marine Park Buck Island Reserve
American Samoa -gt20 Community Based Guam
-gt 20 Community Based Florida Dry
Tortugas no take reserve Marine Debris
Clean-up Interagency efforts have removed 239
tons from coral reefs of the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands. Enforcement Record fines
for damages to reefs. Increase International
Capacity Over 50 projects in 20 countries
to build local capacity. Reduce Anchor damage
Established No-Anchoring zones
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• Maintaining Momentum (2003-03)
• Challenges
• Have you fixed it yet?
• Shifting from Planning to Implementation
• Strengthening the Task Force
• The Puerto Rico Resolution
• Prioritizing Needs
• Increasing Coordination Leveraging
• Telling a Better Story Performance Measures
  Goals
• Building Capacity

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Issue 1. Prioritizing Needs
National Action Plan to Conserve Coral
Reefs Understand Coral Reef Ecosystem Goal 1
Map all U.S. coral reefs Goal 2 Assess, monitor
and forecast reef health Goal 3 Conduct
strategic research Goal 4 Understand social and
economic factors Reduce Impacts of Human
Activities Goal 5 Improve use of marine
protected areas Goal 6 Reduce Impacts of fishing
Goal 7 Reduce Impacts of coastal uses Goal 8
Reduce Impacts of pollution Goal 9 Restore
damage reefs Goal 10 Improve outreach and
education Goal 11 Reduce threats to
international reefs Goal 12 Improve
coordination and accountability
There is no prioritization across the NAPs 13
Goal Areas Some goals lacks specific
targets Limited resources
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Issue 1. Prioritizing Needs

• Response 6 Threats-based Focus Areas
• Proposal from All Islands
• Does not constrain action on other NAP goals
• Land-based Sources of Pollution
• Overfishing
• Lack of Public Awareness
• Recreational Overuse
• Climate Change and Coral Bleaching
• Disease

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Issue 2. Coordination Strength the coordination
between level across agencies Strength
regional involvement Improve coordination with
Stakeholders
National
Regional
Local
Local Agencies
Fed Agencies
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Issue 2 Coordination Response 1 3-year
Local Action Strategies Response 2
Establish 2 Regional Subcommittees (Carribean
and Pacific) Response 3 Regional Action
Strategies
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• Local Action Strategies
• Template and Guidance
• Federal Navigators (4 agencies)
• Regional Technical Workshops
• Climate Change, Bleaching, Coral Reefs
  (Hawaii, June 03)
• Land Based Sources of Pollution (Hawaii,
  June 03)
• Managing Recreational Overuse/Misuse(USVI,
  July 03)
• Looking for Local Action Strategy Best Practice
  Models

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Issue 3. Tracking Progress Weak tracking
system to document progress Effort tax
human Resources Unclear goal indicators
weaken reporting and implementation
Goal
3
2
1
Year
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Issue 3 Tracking Progress Response
Aggregate Local Strategies up to National
Goals for key threats Performance
indicators Web-based database
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National Strategy
DOI
Regional Strategy
Local Strategy
DOC
FAS
DOD
National Plan
USDA
CNMI
Pacific Subcommittee
EPA
Coral Reef Task Force
Guam
DOS
AS
NASA
Steering committee
All Islands Committee
III
AID
PR
NSF
Caribbean Subcommittee
USVI
DOT
FL
DOJ
Local Coral Teams
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• Preliminary Accomplishments
• Increased Partnership/Leveraging
• EPA Agriculture announced lead of LBS
• Interagency funding of technical workshops
• Strengthened contact between local and
• national level across different agencies

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• Conclusions
• Strategy for Maintaining Momentum
• Better synchronizing local and national effort
• Tangible goals
• Accountability (performance measures)
• Formalized coordination across agencies
• Future Directions
• Increasing Stakeholder engagement