# Presentation: 656689

## Watershed Activities that Benefit Coral Reefs 

**Terrell Ann Erickson**
**State Biologist, Hawaii**
**USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service**
**June 15, 2005**

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- National Environmental Policy Meeting

## Outline

- Photo from Wendy Wiltse

**Describe importance of coral reef ecosystems**
**Introduce Hawaii’s Local Action Strategy to address land-based pollution and coral reefs**
**Illustrate how coral reefs are considered in Farm Bill Programs & Ranking Criteria and NRCS Watershed projects**
**Propose a framework for addressing marine ecosystems in the NRCS Watershed Program**

**Outline**

## Why are Coral Reef Ecosystems Important?

**Why are Coral Reef Ecosystems Important?**

**Ecological Importance**
**Aesthetic Importance**
**Economic Importance**
**Cultural Importance**

- www.oceansatlas.org

## The Ahupua`a

## Slide 5

## Stressors:Pollutants & Pollution Sources

_**Pollutants**_
- Sediment
- Nutrients
- Temperature
- Toxics

_**Sources**_
- Wastewater
- Stormwater
- Surface Runoff
- Groundwater Seepage

## NRCS and the Coral Reef Initiative

**U.S. Coral Reef Taskforce (USCRTF)**
**Many partners**
**USCRTF Meeting (December 2001)**
**6 Focus Areas for Priority Action**
**Develop Local Action Strategies (LAS)**
**USDA-NRCS and EPA jointly lead strategies to address Land-Based Sources of Pollution**

## Goal of Hawaii’s Land-Based Pollution Action Strategy:

**To help reduce land based pollution contributions to coral reef degradation in Hawaii.**

- Photo by Terrell Erickson

## NRCS & Local Action Strategy 

- _Farm Bill Programs Amended_
- WHIP ranking: (1) project directly benefits near-shore waters and coral reefs (15 pts); and  (2) project is located within one of the 3 chosen ahupua’a (10 pts)
- CREP: Hawaii’s proposal based on coral reef health analysis & land-based restoration
- EQIP ranking: (1) project directly benefits near-shore waters and coral reefs (10 pts)
- _LAS:  3 Priority Ahupua’a Selected_

## What actions are still needed to reduce LBP impact to reefs?

- What actions are still needed to reduce LBP impact to reefs?

**Identify where land-based pollution is causing significant degradation of marine ecosystems and correlate & develop land-based conservation to make system healthy**

- Photo by Terrell Erickson

- Photo by Terrell Erickson

_**Confounding Factors**_**: **
**Funding**
**Stakeholder Buy-In**
**More Research**

## Measures of Success

_**Measures of Success**_

**Impacts to marine ecosystems are being considered in NRCS Watershed Projects and Farm Bill Programs.**
**Pollution control and monitoring projects are identified, funded and implemented**
**Land management is linked with coral reef health**
**Fewer pollutants are discharged into coastal waters.**
**Impacts to marine ecosystems are reduced based on multiple indicators.**

- Photo from Wendy Wiltse

## MAHALO

- Photo by Terrell Erickson

- _[Katina.henderson@hi.usda.gov](mailto:Katina.henderson@hi.usda.gov)_
- _[Christopher.smith@hi.usda.gov](mailto:Christopher.smith@hi.usda.gov)_