# Presentation: 814546

## GMP Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting

***Waco, Texas***
***November 1, 2006***

## Priorities:

_**Priorities:**_

## Strategies 

_**Strategies **_

## Strategies         

_**Strategies **__**        **_

## Strategies 

**Continue support for implementation of the Hypoxia Action Plan Reassessment targeted for initiation in 2006, completion in 2007**

**Continue support for ORD’s Modeling **
**and Monitoring Framework to address **
**Gulf of Mexico hypoxia**

**Support development of producer-led innovations in advancing BMP practices associated with reducing nutrient discharges and loadings to the Mississippi River Basin**

## Accomplishments:

**  ****Supported highly leveraged projects designed to bring assistance to the restoration of targeted Segments/Waterbodies.**
**72 Impaired Segments have been delisted from the baseline 303(d) listings in the priority areas.   **
**  ****Completed Phase I of**** ****Multi-state nutrient characterization of estuarine ecosystems in Northern Gulf as related to concentrations and loadings. **
**   ****Phase II actions have been identified and prioritized. 8 waterbodies selected for additional analysis for nutrient load-response characteristics. Areas will be selected for ****proposed approaches to the development of site specific nutrient criteria.  Nutrient Reduction Team at the Gulf Alliance Meeting, July 2006, voted to expand the Northern Gulf Nutrient Pilot Study to Florida and Texas.**
** **

## Accomplishments:

** **
** ****Continued support for Louisiana Exotic Invasive Species **
**   ****Symposium in support of Louisiana Aquatic Species Management **
**   ****Plan. ****The Symposium is scheduled for December 2006. **
**  ****GMP Workplan priorities  are incorporated into the Coastal **
**   ****America business model/assessment to better apply the capacity**
**   ****and support in the implementation of GMP projects****.**
**   ****Microbial Source Tracking (MST) initiative through University of**
**   ****Southern Mississippi is expanding  the Regional  MST technologies**
**   ****and improved  methods development & validation to assist state**
**   ****agencies with ability to define contamination source.  Recently, a novel non**
**    ****library based MST method to detect human fecal pollution has been developed.**
**   ****A website has been created – **_[www.usm.edu/bst](http://www.usm.edu/bst)_**. ****Workshop is planned for**
**    ****December 5-6, 2006 in Biloxi, MS.**
** **
_** **_

## Accomplishments:

**  ****Broadened regional and national consumer outreach and education on vibrio vulnificus threats to “high risk” consumers.  Initiated process to collect standardized information for each  Vibrio vulnificus illness and for tracking products implicated in illnesses.**
**Post harvest vibrio treatment capacity requirement has been met, and the reduction in illness rate reported this past year represents a 71% reduction from the baseline for the states of LA, FL, TX, and CA.**
**Completed 1st collaborative (EPA/NOAA-NMFS)   survey of mercury concentrations in Gulf marine and estuarine fish. Analyses of selected subsamples for methylmercury is underway. With assistance from the Gulf Program, both FL and MS have implemented programs to monitor estuarine and marine fish for mercury.**

## Accomplishments:

**Gulf Mercury Database:   Update is nearing completion and will be    Web Accessible**
** **
**Completed Draft Business Plan Strategy for the regional GCOOS program – Gulf Coastal Ocean Observing System. Initial discussions have begun for the development of  an Integrated Monitoring and Data Plan for Gulf Region.**
**  **** **
**   ****Received funding through EPA’s Advanced Monitoring Initiative **
**to expand the   binational red tide monitoring system framework **
**(a.k.a., Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System (HABSOS)) to**
** ****Veracruz. **
_**  **_
_**     **_
_** **_

** ****HABSOS**** **

## Accomplishments:

**  ****In collaboration w/OWOW/Regions 4,5,6,7:**
**  ****>**** initiated Gulf eutrophication monitoring and modeling program  **
**     ****advancements. A draft Gulf of Mexico Modeling Research Plan **
**     ****and Quality Assurance Project Plan have been completed and**
**     ****collaborative efforts are ongoing to solidify partner roles and **
**     ****commitments.**
** **
**  ****>**** jointly supported integration of the agricultural producer  **
**      ****leadership in the quest to achieve voluntary  incentive-based **
**      ****nutrient reductions in the Mississippi River Basin.  **
**     ****Grant awarded July 7, 2006, to Conservation Technology Information**
**     ****Center**** to actively involve stakeholders and focus on the reduction**
**     ****of nutrient loads to the  Mississippi River and its tributaries **
**     ****through innovative partnerships for developing locally-led non-**
**     ****point source nutrient management solutions in the sub-basins of **
**     ****the Mississippi River. **
**     ****3 additional grants were awarded to **

## Accomplishments:

**    **
**  **
**  ****>****    ****Gulf Program provided support toward Hypoxia Action Plan reassessment activities such as the Lower MS River Symposium and the Gulf Hypoxia Science Symposium both held in 2006 in New Orleans. The Sources, Fate & Transport Symposium is scheduled to be held November 7-9, 2006, in Minneapolis, MN.**

## Accomplishments:

** ****462 acres restored, enhanced, or protected; **
**  ****16,458 achieved toward 2009 goal of 20,000**

**“****Programs**
** ****Integrator”**

## Accomplishments:

** ****Assisted design and implementation of regional coastal wetland restoration efforts in Texas with the Bahia Grande project, the Longshore Bars project in Tampa Bay, and the Gulf Initiative to organize and consolidate a MS Sound Working Group focused on Regional Sediment Management.**

## Accomplishments:

** ****2005 Gulf Guardian Awards – presented at Gulf of Mexico Summit in Corpus Christi, March 2006 to largest audience in history of Gulf Guardian Awards Program. **
** **
** ****News releases are being produced for all projects **
**  ****to be distributed and run region-wide.**

## Accomplishments:

** **

**Hurricane Response****	**

**The Gulf Program participated in the ESF-14 Agency coordination and assistance for long-term response and recovery efforts in LA and MS, and provided assistance ($50K grants) to each of the MS County Authorities for infrastructure planning. **

##   FY 2006 PROJECTS 

## The Gulf of Mexico Program at Work 1988-2006

**Texas**
**67 projects**
**$4,428,259**

**Louisiana**
**59 projects**
**$5,202,556**

**Mississippi**
**89 projects**
**$7,302,440**

**Alabama**
**48 projects**
**$4,095,966**

**Florida**
**86 projects**
**$5,757,341**

**Gulf-wide**
**105 projects**
**$7,675,821**

**Totals   454 projects   $34,462,383**

**011110GC**

## GMP serves as Co-Lead of Federal Workgroup with NOAA and 

**GMP serves as Co-Lead of Federal Workgroup with NOAA and **
**is working with Federal component of the partnership to**
** ****implement actions identified in the Gulf State **
**Governors’ Action Plan.**

## Slide 19

## Presentation Objective

- REVIEW GMP FY 2007
-  WORKPLAN INTEGRATION
-  WITH GULF ALLIANCE
-  GOVERNORS’ ACTION
-  PLAN

## Slide 21

## Who defines the projects? 

**Select Issue Areas **

**Water Quality/**
**Public Health**
**Nutrients**
**Habitat **
**Restoration/ID**
**Education**

**Mobile**
**Pensacola**
**Suwannee**
**Tampa**
**Sarasota**
**Charlotte**
**Choctawhatchee**
**Barataria**
**Pontchartrain**
**Mississippi**
**Laguna Madre**
**Corpus Christi**
**Galveston**

**Who defines the projects? **

***The ******States,****** by way of a variety of strategic assessment methodologies ******(e.g., CCMPs, TMDL Implementation Plans, Watershed Assessments, Basin Coordination Plans, GMP Assisted Strategic Assessments, ******Gulf Alliance Governors’ Action Plan, ******etc.),****** define the priority projects targeted for assistance.***

## How effective is this process?

_**Other Federal**_

_**EPA/ GMPO**_

_**NGOs**_

**How effective is this process?**

## Workplan 2000-2006 :  5 Objectives

- Workplan 2007: 5 Objectives
- 3 New Subobjectives resulting from Gulf Alliance:
- Subobjective 1(E): ....  c*oordinate and standardize state and federal water quality data collection activities in the Gulf region.*
- Subobjective 3(C):...* identify and assess priority coastal, estuarine, nearshore and  offshore Gulf habitats and establish   baseline information and mapping system.*
-  Subobjective 4 (A):...*During recovery and rebuilding efforts, apply  innovative practices/ technologies to  restore fishing and recreational uses in  key coastal watersheds impaired by excessive nutrient inputs.*

- HOW IS THE WORKPLAN DIFFERENT?

## Objective 1: Restore water  & habitat quality

-                     Subobjective 1(A): ...actions in 71 impaired coastal segments...
-                      Subobjective 1(B): ... assist the Gulf States in development of their nutrient criteria and management responses
-                       Subobjective 1(C) :... develop a coordinated  cross-cut budget strategy for GMP’s partners
-                       Subobjective 1(D):.... support coordination of region-wide efforts to establish advanced Bacterial Source Tracking           				                                methods and technologies
- New                Subobjective 1(E): ....  c*oordinate and standardize state and federal water quality data collection activities in the Gulf region.*
**Objective 2:  Protect Public Health...contaminated seafood and harmful algal blooms...**
-                       Subobjective 2(A):.... assist the Gulf States and the ISSC in reducing the rate of shellfish-borne *Vibrio vulnificus* illnesses
-                       Subobjective 2(B):.... assist the Gulf States  in developing and implementing mercury/methylmercury monitoring & 			 fish consumption advisories
-                      Subobjective 2( C):....HABs warning system
**Objective 3:  Marine Habitat Restoration, Enhancement, or Protection**
-                      Subobjective 3(A):....restore, enhance, or protect 2,400 acres
-                      Subobjective 3(B):... assist regional coastal wetland restoration efforts.
- New             Subobjective 3(C):...* identify and assess priority coastal, estuarine, nearshore and  offshore Gulf habitats and establish a  baseline  I  **	**	**	**information and mapping system.*
**Objective 4: Reduce Nutrient Inputs to coastal ecosystems**
-  New             Subobjective 4 (A):...*During recovery and rebuilding efforts apply  innovative practices/ technologies to  restore fishing and **	**	**	**	**recreational uses in  key coastal watersheds impaired by excessive nutrient inputs.*
-                      Subobjective 4(B):.... support national efforts to reduce the 5-year running average areal extent of Gulf hypoxia
**Objective 5: Foster Regional Stewardship and Sense of Community**
-                      Subobjective 5(A):....achieve improved regional awareness of the value of Gulf resources, key environmental issues, actions
-                      Subobjective 5(B):.... support the Citizens Advisory Committee efforts to achieve improved regional awareness

## The Management Committee endorsed the integration of Gulf Alliance activities into the Gulf of Mexico Program Workplan.

***The Management Committee endorsed the integration of Gulf Alliance activities into the Gulf of Mexico Program Workplan.***
***We are proud of what we are achieving;  however, to achieve our potential we need to be better utilized by the entirety of the partnership, and the Gulf Alliance is helping us toward that goal.***

## Gulf of Mexico Program Office            Historical Funding 	     1988 - 2007

**00170GC**

**Total Funding**

**Fiscal Year**

- Gulf of Mexico Program Office            Historical Funding 	     1988 - 2007

## Slide 28