Sustain Healthy Coasts
Total Request $227,715,000
Strategic Plan Chart
| Strategic Plan Table
Activity-Based Chart | Activity-Based
Table
Performance Measures
Vision
By 2005, the Nation's coasts will have more productive and
diverse habitats for fish and wildlife, and cleaner coastal waters
for recreation and the production of seafood. Coastal communities
will have thriving, sustainable economies based on well-planned
development and healthy coastal ecosystems.
Challenge
Despite significant progress to develop the technology, information
and management systems that foster sustainable economies and
conservation of coastal resources, rapid population growth and
increasing demands in many coastal areas have degraded natural
resources and led to declines in both economic productivity and
environmental integrity. The increasing demands on coastal resources
are very real. Over half of the U.S. population lives in coastal
areas. Only 10% of the U.S. land area is coastal. One-third of
the Nation's gross national product and between one-third and
one-half of all U.S. jobs are produced in the coastal zone. Coastal
areas provide essential habitats for over 70% of U.S. commercial
and recreational fisheries species. Healthy coastal environments
support tourism, recreation, fishing and other industries that
generate more than $100 billion annually in coastal communities
across the Nation.
Degradation of coastal environments threatens communities,
businesses and human health. In 1995, U.S. beaches were closed
or warnings were issued on more than 3,522 occasions. Degraded
water quality continues to close or restrict the use of nearly
30% of U.S. shellfish growing waters including 4.5 million acres
or 50% of shellfish growing areas in the Gulf of Mexico, the
nation's top shellfish-producing region. The closures of beaches
and shellfish beds, growth of harmful algal blooms, increase
in hypoxic zones, and the loss of habitats for fisheries species
are indications that more needs to be done to protect the economic
and environmental opportunities of U.S. coastal zones.
Maintaining the health, productivity and biodiversity of coastal
ecosystems is essential to sustainable development of coastal
economies and the future welfare of the Nation.
Implementation Strategy
Objectives of this goal are to:
- Protect, conserve and restore coastal habitats and their
biodiversity.
- Promote clean coastal waters to sustain living marine resources
and ensure safe recreation, healthy seafood and economic vitality.
- Foster well-planned and revitalized coastal communities that
sustain coastal economies, are compatible with the natural environment,
minimize the risks from natural hazards, and provide access to
coastal resources for the public's use and enjoyment.
Benefits
This goal provides information, technology, research and management
tools to address the practical needs and concerns of coastal
resource managers at local, state, tribal and Federal levels.
NOAA's coastal activities form an integrated program of monitoring,
research, assessment, restoration, information dissemination,
and resource management that provides governmental and non-governmental
entities with the basis for sound decisions and sustainable development
of coastal areas. Federal-state partnerships such as the Coastal
Zone Management Program, National Estuarine Research Reserve
System, and National Sea Grant College Program are essential
activities supporting this goal. Research is another critical
tool providing improved understanding of the way in which coastal
ecosystems function, and increasing the ability to predict responses
of ecosystems and society to human activities. This information
allows managers and stakeholders to take appropriate actions
for sustainable use of coastal resources and to avoid costly
damages. Combined with hazardous-spill response, damage assessment,
remote-sensing technology and habitat restoration programs, NOAA's
coastal programs are effective tools to ensure that the Nation's
coastal ecosystems are managed for the long-term benefit of the
public.
FY 1997 Accomplishments
In FY 1997, NOAA:
Provided critical data and resources to the interagency South Florida Ecosystem Restoration effort
by initiating an integrated coastal monitoring program. NOAA
is responsible for information, monitoring and restoration of
coastal portions of the ecosystem restoration effort.
Responded to 98 oil and chemical spills in coastal areas including
technical assistance for major oil spills in Japan and Uruguay.
Provided technical support to the Environmental Protection
Agency at 350 coastal Superfund waste sites.
Provided assistance and information for dealing with harmful
algal blooms in several coastal areas including the Pfiesteria
outbreak that caused fish kills and human health impacts in the
Chesapeake Bay. NOAA supported some of the earliest research
on this problem and initiated monitoring and response efforts
nation-wide.
Provided information for definition and description of essential
fish habitat as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act.
Increased protection and sustainable use of coastal resources
by adding two new state programs (Texas and Ohio) to the federal-state
coastal zone management partnership, accepting State nomination
of two new National Estuarine Research Reserves in Alaska and
Mississippi, and dedicating the newest Estuarine Research Reserve
(Jacque Cousteau/Mullica River Great Bay) in New Jersey.
Increased protection and sustainable use of coastal resources
in the Florida Keys and Hawaii with completion of final management
plans for National Marine Sanctuaries at these sites.
Helped restore damaged coastal habitats by providing over
$5 million for restoration from settlement of natural resource
damage cases. Provided technology and resources for restoration
of damaged coral reefs, over 5000 acres of coastal wetlands,
and many other coastal habitats.
Developed and implemented a successful national public awareness
campaign on the value and loss of U.S. coral reefs as part of
the 1997 International Year of the Reef and International Coral
Reef Initiative. Began development of national awareness campaign
for the 1998 International
Year of the Ocean.
Key FY 1999 Activities
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration
Initiative - FY 1999 funding is critical for NOAA to
fulfill the information, monitoring and management needs of this
interagency effort. NOAA is responsible for coastal components
of the restoration effort. $2.5 million in new funding requested
for NOS ($1.9 million) and NMFS ($0.6 million) to: (1) provide
integrated coastal monitoring in Florida Bay and the Florida
Keys National Marine Sanctuary; (2) continue to restore South
Florida's living marine resources and coral reefs; (3) determine
causes of declines and effects of human actions on coastal resources;
and (4) continue analysis of the economic impacts of restoration
efforts in coastal areas.
Clean Water Initiative - This
initiative will help protect coastal communities from toxic pollution
and reduce the flow of pollution from non-point sources into
coastal waters in support of the Administration's Clean Water
Initiative. $16.8 million in new funding ($16.2 million - SHC;
$0.6 million - BSF) will strengthen and enhance the critical
capabilities of NOAA's Coastal Zone Management Program and Coastal
Nonpoint Pollution Control Program that provide comprehensive
research, monitoring, planning, response, scientific and technical
support to states and communities addressing one of the greatest
threats to U.S. coastal areas, nonpoint source pollution. The
initiative will also help address the growing outbreaks of harmful
algal blooms and other symptoms of water pollution and degraded
coastal ecosystems that adversely impact coastal economies. The
new funding will enable NOAA to continue participating in the
multiagency National Pfiesteria Research and Monitoring Strategy
and ECOHAB as well as providing emergency grants to state, universities,
and communities in responding to this and other types of harmful
algal bloom events. NOAA will also have enhanced capability to
address the impacts of hazardous waste sites on NOAA trust resources.
Damage Assessment and Restoration Program
- Increased resources ($3.0 million) for this program will allow
NOS ($1.5 million) and NMFS ($1.5 million) to fulfill its legislative
and public trusteeship responsibilities for damage assessment
and restoration of coastal and marine resources. Funding will
be used to support case specific studies and to develop new methods
that more efficiently and effectively protect and restore coastal
habitats.
National Oceanographic Partnership
Program - An increase of $2.0 million ($1.4 million -SHC;
$0.6 million - BSF) for this interagency partnership program
will allow NOAA and partners to build on existing efforts to
understand, predict and respond to outbreaks of harmful algal
blooms and assess the cause and effect of hypoxic zones on coastal
resources in the Gulf of Mexico.
Essential Fish Habitat - NOAA's new responsibilities
under the Magnuson-Stevens Act of 1996 for identifying essential
fish habitat and adding essential habitat elements into fishery
management plans will require significant resources and attention
in FY 1999.
Hypoxia Research - Increased resources will be used
to support critical process research and diagnostic modeling
to quantify the causes and effects of hypoxia (low oxygen) in
coastal waters. NOAA and intergovernmental partners will develop
cost effective strategies to manage the land-based sources of
pollution causing this problem.
Natural Disaster Reduction Initiative
- As part of this interagency initiative, $1.4 million will allow
NOAA to work with coastal states to: develop risk atlases; provide
new remote sensing data to more effectively evaluate, mitigate
the risk and costs of natural disasters to coastal communities;
and assess the impacts of natural hazards on coastal habitats. |