# Presentation: 395990

## Regional Approaches to Ocean & Coastal Management

- VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)
- Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
- NOAA Administrator
- May 12, 2006

## Menu Slide

- Regional initiatives: Coordinating natural resource policy and management
- Regional approaches already underway
- Gulf of Mexico
- Great Lakes Regional Collaboration
- Governance and Ecosystem Boundaries
- Issues of mutual concern
- Next Steps

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

## Coordinating natural resource policy and management

- Ocean and coastal waters transcend state and provincial boundaries
- Great value in leveraging political and resource capital to efficiently manage ecosystems
- New England Governors & Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference is a critical forum where issues common to this geographical region can be discussed
- Several of these issues logically extend to the Northeast Regional Oceans Council (NROC) and the larger Ocean Working Committee
- As these groups take shape I encourage its members to look at ongoing initiatives
- Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership
- Great Lakes Regional Collaboration

- “Support Regional Collaborations on Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes Policy in Partnership with States, Localities, and Tribes”
- US Ocean Action Plan

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
Quote form the US Ocean Action Plan.  The federal government is committed to assisting the states on managing natural resources on a regional scale.
Oceans and coastal waters transcend state and provincial boundaries. 
Although state and provincial governments are mandated to manage the nearshore waters, there is great value in using your collective political voice to influence how we manage these areas to make sure we are investing in their sustained health for future generations of economic yield and natural enjoyment. 
Recognize that the New England Governors & Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference  provides a critical forum where issues common to this geographical region can be discussed.
Thank Gov. Carcieri for his leadership at the first COP meeting on proposing to form the Northeast Regional Ocean Council. 
Only state representative invited to that first Cabinet-levelmeeting –recognized that regional solutions to ocean and coastal issues are practical both ecologically and economically.
As both Canada and U.S. have released Ocean Action Plans that recommend action on a regional scale, there is a political window of opportunity to take advantage of this momentum and attention given to this region in particular. 
This is a unique time in Washington and Ottawa where oceans are on the political radar. This acts as a catalyst for the federal community to get organized and better coordinated to be a stronger asset to states.

## Regional Models: Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership

- Gulf states agreed to 5 focus areas:
- Water Quality for healthy beaches and shellfish beds
- Wetland and coastal conservation and restoration
- Environmental education
- Identification and characterization of Gulf habitats
- Reductions in nutrient inputs to coastal ecosystems
- Governors’ Action Plan released March 2006
- States defined “success” for each focus area
- Action Plan also serves as a bi-national regional collaboration with the six Mexican Gulf States

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**

States from the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, initiated by Florida Governor Jeb Bush in April 2004, have taken the lead in identifying key priorities for the Gulf of Mexico region.
The Alliance has identified five priority areas:  Reductions in Nutrient Loading, Healthy Beaches and Shellfish Beds, Coastal Wetland Restoration, Identification of Gulf Habitats for Management, and Environmental Education.  In November and December, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance and Federal Workgroup reengaged to assess needs following 2005 hurricane season and drafted a Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors’ Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts, and restarted associated community workshops.  
The Action Plan was formally released on Tuesday, March 28 at the State of the Gulf Summit, hosted by the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, in Corpus Christi, Texas. 
The Action Plan lays out 11 actions, each with specific 36-month outcomes, across the 5 priority areas

Important point: Entirely a state lead initiative.  NOAA and EPA co-chair the Federal Workgroup (13 federal agencies) but this has been mostly a coordinating effort to align our activities with the priorities that were synthesized by the states.

## Regional Models: Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC)

- May 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order 13340 establishing Great Lakes Interagency Task Force
- The GLRC members: Great Lakes Governors, Mayors, Federal Agencies (9), Tribal leaders, Great Lakes Congressional Delegation
- Executive Committee established eight Strategy Teams developed the regional strategy document:
- Area of Concern Restoration/Sediments
- Coastal Health
- Habitat/Species
- Indicators and Information
- Invasive Species
- Nonpoint Source Pollution
- Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics Reduction
- Sustainable Development

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
The Great Lakes have faced many serious environmental challenges. EPA, NOAA and eight other federal agencies administer some 140 programs that fund and implement environmental programs in the Great Lakes basin. Although there has been significant progress, the work of cleaning up the lakes and preventing further problems has not always been coordinated. 
In May 2004, the President created a cabinet-level interagency task force  for a “regional collaboration of national significance.” After extensive discussions, the federal Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, the Council of Great Lakes Governors, the Great Lakes Cities Initiative, Great Lakes tribes and the Great Lakes Congressional Task Force moved to convene a group now known as the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC). 
The Collaboration includes the EPA-led Federal Interagency Task Force, the Great Lakes states, local communities, tribes, non-governmental organizations and other interests in the Great Lakes region. An Executive Committee was established, whose members are a subset of the GLRC.  The Committee was responsible for creating eight strategy teams responsible for examining and providing recommendations on a Great Lakes Strategy.  The final strategy document was released on December 12, 2005.

Primary Talking Point:  The GLRC was initiated through an executive order and included stakeholders and constituencies at all federal, state and local levels during the establishment of priorities.  This made the initiative inclusive but required more time and ultimately inflated the priorities.  This contrasts with the Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership, which was initiated by Governor Bush in 2004 and was principally lead by the states.  The federal government was involved but mostly in a consultation capacity.

## Governance and Ecosystem Boundaries

- To be successful ecosystem boundaries must be captured
- Eco-regions may need their own governance i.e. Gulf of Maine Council
- Can initiate sharing lessons learned to benefit greater region
- Political boundaries provide a coordinated voice at the national and international level, and a stronger influence regionally
- The region you represent is a political geography
- Efficient way to integrate Local-State-Federal; Canadian and U.S. Governments

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
Ecosystem boundaries:
For any regional initiative to work it must take into account the ecosystem or the series of ecosystems.  The group assembled today encompasses a large area that is defined by large marine ecosystems. 

Different Governance options:
Discuss that managing several large ecosystems could affect which governing strategy is initiated

Political boundaries:
The governing strategy must incorporate political boundaries and leverage the political capital.  NOTE:  Important to mention that to be effective the regional policy must efficiently incorporate all levels of government. Good transition to the next slide: This could be an opportune time to pose the question how is the Canadian federal government engaged? Federal involvement is important to effectively leverage funding and alignment of programs to state or provincial needs.

## Governance and Ecosystem Boundaries

- NOAA and its federal partners stand ready to work with the New England states and the region as a whole
**NOAA** and the **Department of the Interior** have been asked to lead eight other federal agencies: EPA, NASA, USACE, NSF, State, USDA, DOE and DOD

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
NOAA, Dept of Interior and EPA partners are all here at this meeting to hear your progress and support this endeavor.

This federal team has already
1) inventoried their expertise and assets that would be of use to states, and 
2) is thinking about how to collaborate better among themselves to make life easier for the states- whether its NEPA reviews, federal consistency or permitting issues.

In the scoping meeting there were discussions about what issues would be ripe for NROC focus –that is what are the issues that need a regional solution that are not already being tackled by another entity? 

It seems there was consensus on a few broad issues – that to no surprise are also federal priorities as well.

## Common Issues of Concern:Ocean Use

- Plan and manage the multiple uses that occur in our nearshore and offshore waters
- Energy proposals in state and federal waters are the most recent example of an emerging use
- Regional approach in siting these facilities:
- Site appropriate locations to maximize and efficiently  use natural resources
- Sustainable use of our benthic habitats, living marine resources, and navigation channels

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
The first issue that rose to the top was the need to better plan and manage the multiple uses that occur in our nearshore and offshore waters. 
Energy proposals in state and federal waters are the most recent example of an emerging use. 
There is concern about the need to take a regional approach in siting these facilities to determine the most appropriate locations for their use to minimize impact to our benthic habitats, living marine resources, and navigation channels, and to maximize their utility of natural resources for efficient power.

I was encouraged by Massachusetts for proposing legislation for comprehensive ocean planning. This is the type of ecosystem-based thinking that would have benefits on a regional scale. Perhaps it can serve as a model beyond MA state waters.

## Common Issues of Concern: Improved Understanding of Ecosystems

- There is a common need to fill **data gaps** in ecosystem knowledge
- Support **region-wide** monitoring and data management so we can make informed decisions about where to permit different uses in the ocean environment
- Participate in the **Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative** or “GOMMI”—a federal-state-industry partnership that enables strategic mapping both offshore and nearshore
- Invest in scientific research to support management needs in the Northeast

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
Understanding our ecosystems is the first step for achieving effective management of the region’s marine environments.

This requires organizing data we have already collected and identifying gaps where further data is needed. 

Support scientific research in Northwest Atlantic. This Region boasts some of the best universities in the U.S. and CA (Dalhousie, WHOI, UNH, UMASS). Partner with these institutions to make progress .

GOMMI Background
The Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GOMMI) is a U.S.-Canadian partnership of government and non-government organizations to conduct comprehensive seafloor imaging, mapping, and biological and geological surveys. GOMMI grew out of a mapping workshop in October 2001 that was sponsored by the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment and NOAA. Currently, GOMMI is working to secure funding and conduct a mapping program of areas in the Gulf of Maine not already mapped by multibeam sonar surveys. 

## Common Issues of Concern:Integrated Ocean Observing System

- NOAA has been supporting coastal and ocean observing systems to:
- Provide needed real-time information to mariners, fishermen, researchers, search & rescue users, among many others, that depend on this data for their livelihood and success.
- Ocean observing technologies, data management and products are an investment, but a good return on investment
- This forum provides our businesses, non-profits and governments a common environment in which to do this.  Budding partnership between:
- Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC)
- Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS)
- The NEG&ECP forum will allow us to:
- Apply our international assets to the
- 	Northwest Atlantic
- Connect these regions in ways that will bring
- 	economic benefit to both sides of the border

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
Ocean observing technologies, data management and products are an investment, but a good return on investment.
In times of lean budgets and an ever increasing need to better understand our ocean resources, progress in this field must be shared for common gain. 
This is exactly the type of value-added that this forum provides our businesses, non-profits and governments. 
Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC)
Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS)
I was pleased to learn that this type of partnership has formed as a result from this forum. The CCMC Smart Bay Demo Project and the GoMOOS represent two of our countries’ premier observing systems. 
Through a connection made at your last meeting in Newfoundland, these entities have signed a MOU to begin discussing the exchange of buoy technology, software to create products, server capacity, and lessons learned on governance and user needs. 
Through an exchange of data, technology and experience the CCMC and GoMOOS will develop products that will be transferable to other international regions like the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest where the U.S. and CA share valuable resources.

The Governors & Premiers forum has sparked this partnership that will allow us to apply our international assets to the Northwest Atlantic and connect these regions in ways that will bring economic benefit to both sides of the border.

## Next Steps...

- The federal government integrates best when there are clear issues and expected outcomes
- Continue defining the issues that are most important to the region
- Use regional collaborations already in existence to help NROC and the Ocean Working Committee find its value added niche.
- Impressed by the leadership and encourage your continued engagement in building the Oceans Working Committee

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

**Notes:**
The federal government integrates best when there are clear issues to address. We are looking forward to the states getting more specific so our federal partners can organize the relevant expertise and programs to lend a hand (understanding this is a budget neutral initiative). 

I urge you to continue your leadership in defining those issues you want to address through the Oceans Working Committee, and to know that we look forward to following your lead and working with you on these endeavors.

I encourage you to recognize the many regional collaborations already in existence and urge you to use them in helping NROC and the Ocean Working Committee find its value added niche.

Don’t forget to use your NOAA-supported partners at the state level, like Sea Grant, the state coastal zone management programs, and the national estuarine research reserves. These folks are your ocean work force to help reach these goals. 

Thank you for the opportunity to once again be engaged in your discussion on ocean resource management.

## Thank You...Questions?

- VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)
- Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
- NOAA Administrator
- May 12, 2006

## Backup Slides

- VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)
- Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
- NOAA Administrator
- May 12, 2006

## Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnership Structure

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

## Current Regional Collaborations

- Policy/Management
- New England Governors Council
- New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers
- Coalition of Northeastern Governors
- Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
- Coastal America Northeast Regional Implementation Team
- New England Regional Dredging Team
- National Estuary Program/Association of National Estuary Programs
- Northeast Sea Grant

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference

## Current Regional Collaborations

- Research/Monitoring
- GOM Ecosystem Indicators Partnership
- Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System
- Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership
- Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
- Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative
- Seafloor mapping
- Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel
- Regional Association for Research in the Gulf of Maine
- Long Island Sounds Study
- National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA)

- 30th New England Governors-Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference