Transcript marco priorities - Monmouth University

Tony MacDonald
Director
Urban Coast Institute
Monmouth University
November 30, 2009
MARCO
 June 4, 2009 Mid-Atlantic
Governors’ Ocean Summit
sign Agreement on Ocean
Conservation and MARCO.
 Principles:
 Protect, conserve and
sustainably develop
 Ecosystem-based
Management
 Regional Coordination /
National Support
 Partnership with States,
Feds and Stakeholders
MARCO
PRIORITIES
• Habitat Protection
• Climate Change /
Adaptation
• Water Quality
• Offshore Renewable
Energy
BUSY
OCEAN
Multiple Layers and
IMPLAN Model with
All Sectors Combined
Habitat Protection
 1) Protect the 10 major offshore
canyons from harmful or damaging
activities.
 2) Identify other key Mid-Atlantic
habitats , such as migration corridors,
at risk from damaging activities and seek
appropriate protection measures.
 3) Create a regional internet mapping
system to identify areas unsuitable for
certain activities due to the presence of
key habitats.
 4) Create Mid-Atlantic marine habitat
protection and restoration policies to
guide management.
Marine Spatial Planning
 A process to facilitate
decision-making based
on suitability of areas…
 Ensuring protection of
critical habitats, and
 Encouraging
appropriate
development of offshore
renewable energy
Climate Change / Adaptation
 1) Identify key infrastructure
vulnerable to sea level rise and
flood hazards.
 2) Acquire data to assess regional
vulnerability to climate change and
seal level rise impacts to
infrastructure and coastal habitats.
 3) Create a regional/ national GIS.
 4) Facilitate information
exchange.
 5) Initiate sea level rise adaptation
measures to collectively reduce the
region’s vulnerability.
Water Quality
 1) Promote greater federal
investments for infrastructure
upgrades to region’s wastewater
treatment infrastructure.
 2) Reduce amount of human
derived debris and floatables
entering waterways and the ocean.
 3) Improve delivery and expand
data collected on water quality to
better predict and assess
effectiveness.
 4) Develop agenda to address
atmospheric sources of nitrogen
and other toxins that contaminate
ocean waters.
Renewable Offshore Energy
 1) Develop and finalize shared
research and monitoring
protocols for assessing impacts of
energy development in terms of
construction and operation on
ocean and coastal resources.
 2) Define regulatory steps, time
frames, and potential barriers to
development of offshore renewable
energy resources.
 3) Complete an offshore use map
to facilitate siting of renewable
energy projects to minimize
adverse impacts to other ocean
users and ecological services.
Ocean Policy Task Force
Federal and State Policy Context
 Executive Branch: Ocean Policy Task
Force – Preliminary Policy, Framework
and Implementation, and MSP
Framework by Dec 12
 National Legislation (Energy, Climate
change, CZMA, O & C Mapping
Integration Act)
 MMS & NOAA: Multipurpose Marine
Cadastre
 Regional Ocean Governance - NROC &
MARCO
 Stakeholder Summit on December 9 &
10
 State led efforts - Energy Master Plan,
Alternative energy siting regulations,
coastal hazards, CZM rules.