the national marine sanctuary program
TRANSCRIPT
The National Marine Sanctuary Program
Overview
• NOAA, National Marine Sanctuary System, and Thunder Bay NMS
• How does the sanctuary nomination process work?
• Status of Wisconsin’s efforts and next
steps
NOAA Line Offices
National Weather Service (NWS)
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
National Environmental, Satellite, Data, & Information Service (NESDIS)
National Ocean Service (NOS)
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
SCIENCE
SERVICE
STEWARDSHIP
NOAA Assets
National Marine Sanctuaries
“Areas of the marine environment with special conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, cultural, archaeological, or esthetic qualities…” National Marine Sanctuary Act (sec. 301)
Sanctuaries are “Placed-based”
The Sanctuary System
Sanctuary Management
Conservation and
Preservation
Resource Protection
Education & Outreach
Research & Monitoring
What is Allowed in Sanctuaries?
• What does “sanctuary” mean?
• Are people allowed to fish and dive? Can anyone use a sanctuary?
• Each sanctuary is different; tailored to specific needs and threats
• Thunder Bay NMS: no restrictions on access; no regulations restricting fishing
System Facts
• 14 field sites, 4 regional offices
• Program budget around $48 million
• 47 vessels (31 small, 8 medium, 8 large)
• 7 visitor centers, 8 major exhibits
• 14 Advisory Councils with 440 members & alternates
• Over 400+ major partnerships, including zoos and aquaria, academia, industry, and tourism.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
Advisory Councils
Volunteers
Visitor Centers & Exhibits
NMSF & Friends Groups
Sustaining Local Economies
Stellwagen Bank NMS
• Top 10 whale watching destination in the world
• $24 million annual revenue
Thunder Bay NMS
• An economic engine for the Alpena region
Florida Keys NMS
• 400,000 visitors in 2008 • $103 million spent on rec fishing alone
Across all national
marine sanctuaries,
about $4 billion
annually is generated
in local coastal and
ocean dependent
economies
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Business Advisory Council
• Representatives from travel and tourism, recreation, fishing, transportation, energy, and technology sectors, corporate foundations, and other businesses
• TripAdvisor , Royal Caribbean International, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Johnson Outdoors Inc, Cheney Energy Partners, LLC
Thunder Bay NMS
• Designated in 2000
• 4,300 square miles (expanded in Sept. 2014)
• Protects nationally significant collection of estimated 200 shipwrecks in Lake Huron
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center
Archaeological Research and Documentation
EB Allen
Grecian
Education: ROV competition
Alpena Community College: Marine Tech Program
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Partnerships with businesses
Wisconsin
A community-based nomination to manage and interpret maritime heritage resources in Lake Michigan as a national marine sanctuary
Timeline
2006: NOAA had initial discussions with Wisconsin Historical Society
2007: Established state agency working group
2008: Wisconsin Historical Society report
2009-present: Meetings with elected officials and stakeholders, state agency working group; participating in public outreach events
2014: Wisconsin sanctuary nomination
Wisconsin’s Historic Shipwrecks An Overview and Analysis of Locations for a
State/Federal Partnership with the National Marine
Sanctuary Program
Sanctuary Program
Keith N. Meverden and Tamara L. Thomsen With Historic Overview by Paul P. Kreisa and David J. Cooper
State Archaeology and Maritime Preservation Program
Technical Report Series #08-003
Maritime Trail Regions
Mid-Lake Region
875-square mile area
33 known shipwrecks
Two oldest shipwrecks in Wisconsin
14 intact shipwrecks
Four vessels have standing masts
15 shipwrecks on National Register
Range of construction dates: 1833-1918
History of Sanctuary Nominations
• First formal process developed in late 1970s
• Site Evaluation List (SEL) developed in 1983
• SEL included natural and historical marine resource sites
New Sanctuary Nomination Process
A new opportunity for local
communities and other interested
parties to provide NOAA with
criteria-driven proposals
(nominations) for new national
marine sanctuaries.
Sanctuary Nomination Process
June 28 – August 27,
2013
Federal Register Notice: Public Comment Period for DRAFT Rule to Re-Establish the Sanctuary Nomination Process
In Progress
Agency Develops a Response to the Public Comments and Submits
for Clearance the Final Rule
Federal Register Notice: FINAL Rule to Re-Establish the
Sanctuary Nomination Process
June 14, 2014
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Nomination Package
• Resources of national significance
• Community-based support
• Possible commitments for partnership opportunities
• Opportunities for research and education
Status of Wisconsin’s Nomination
• Wisconsin Historical Society has lead
• Coordinating with State Agency Working Group and Governor’s office
• Working with Community Working Group. All communities have local working groups.
• Nomination almost finished
Next Steps
• New nominations do not equate to new sanctuary designations.
• Nominated areas will be reviewed by NOAA and decisions made on which areas NOAA will initiate the formal designation process.
• Formal designation is a separate, highly public process that often takes years to complete.
The Designation Process
Comply with National Environmental Policy Act
Hold scoping meetings
Priorities for management
Threats to resource
Boundaries
Regulations and enforcement
Education programs
Partnership opportunities
The Designation Process
Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Management Plan
Solicit comments and hold public hearings
Publish Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Management Plan
For More Information
www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov
www.nominate.noaa.gov
Ellen Brody
734-741-2270