What is the management plan?
The management plan is a road map for sanctuary management that
serves to: 1) guide site management toward achievement of the
sanctuary’s goals using the best means available; and 2)
inform sanctuary constituents, including the general public, about
the sanctuary, its regulations, and the management actions it
has planned for the next five years. The sanctuary's 2009 Final
Management Plan represents a major revision of the original 1983
management plan under which the sanctuary previously operated.
The Final Management Plan contains information about the sanctuary's
environment and resources, staffing and administration, regulations
and boundaries, priority management issues and the actions proposed
to address them, and performance measures. It is supported by
a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which contains
detailed information on the greater sanctuary region, analyzes
a range of alternatives for modified and new sanctuary regulations,
and provides environmental and socioeconomic impact analyses of
those regulatory alternatives. These two documents are bundled
together in two volumes: the Final Management Plan is Volume I,
and the FEIS is Volume II. (A third related document, called the
Final Rule, published the final new and revised Sanctuary regulations.)
Why is the sanctuary's management plan being reviewed?
The NMSP is required to review sanctuary management plans to:
-
Evaluate substantive progress toward implementing the management
plan and goals;
- Evaluate
the effectiveness of site-specific management techniques and
strategies;
- Determine
necessary revisions to the management plan and regulations;
- Prioritize
management objectives; and
- Meet requirements
of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
Since the sanctuary's 1980 designation, significant innovations
in science, technology, and marine resource management techniques
have been made, while challenging new resource management issues
have emerged. In addition to updating its now obsolete 1983 management
plan, the plan revision process provides a vehicle for the National
Marine Sanctuary Program to integrate new tools and practices
into site management.
What is the process for revising the management plan?
The management plan revision process began with a series of public
scoping meetings that were held in 1999. Since that time much
progress has been made through the significant involvement of
the public and the Sanctuary Advisory Council. The management
plan revision process history is described in detail
here. Based on
public scoping comments and additional public input, the Sanctuary
developed a Draft Management Plan containing a series of non-regulatory
action plans, a Proposed Rule presenting proposed regulatory changes,
and a DEIS analyzing a range of alternatives for modified and
new sanctuary regulations
The public comment period for the Sanctuary’s Draft Management
Plan / DEIS / Proposed Rule closed on July 21, 2006. The public
comment period for the Supplemental DEIS / Proposed Rule closed
on May 30, 2008. Based on comments received during the public
comment periods, the Sanctuary developed a Final Management Plan
/ Final Environmental Impact Statement / Final Rule. The FEIS
and Final Rule include responses to all substantive comments received
during the public comment periods.
Do the FMP and FEIS propose marine reserves or expanding
sanctuary boundaries?
No. The FMP and FEIS do not propose either. However, the FMP contains
an action plan that acknowledges that in the future CINMS will
evaluate boundary change options. As for marine reserves, a network
of protected zones (marine reserves and conservation areas) within
CINMS was completed in 2007 pursuant to a separate regulatory
process.
For information on marine reserves Click
Here
For information on sanctuary boundary issues Click
Here
Check here for
details on the project’s current status and future steps
in the process.
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