[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           NOAA FISHERIES
                 NATIONAL HABITAT PLAN
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                                                Acknowledgment

                 The NOAA Fisheries, Office of Habitat Conservation objectives are done collaboratively. Many
                      other Federal agencies such as the Department of the Army's Corps of Engineers, the
                        Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service,
                 the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration, and the Environmental Protection
                 Agency work in partnership to restore and conserve the Nation's habitats. In addition, there are
                 numerous non-governmental organizations and volunteer groups which also participate in these
                                                            efforts.


                          The Office of Habitat Conservation wishes to acknowledge these partners and
                                                  their valuable contributions.












                                                       NOAA Fisheries
                                               Office of Habitat Conservation
                                                 1315 East West Highway
                                              Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
                                                       (301) 713-2325
                                                    (301) 713-1043 (fax)
                                     http:Hkingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/rschreib/habitat.htmI







              Cover photograph by Tom Blagden, Jr. Scene of tidal marsh along the Wando River in Francis Marion National
              Forest, South Carolina.








                                             DEPARTMENT    OF COMMERCE                                                       


                                                             UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

                                             



                                  NOAA FISHERIES
                         NATIONAL HABITAT PLAN
                         1997 and Beyond


                                                     Property of CSC Library





                                     U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                                         Michael Kantor, Secretary
                              National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                                      D. James Baker, Under Secretary
                                     National Marine Fisheries Service
                          Rolland A. Schmitten, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
                                       Office of Habitat Conservation





                                              December 1996




                                            US DEPARTMENT 
                                                      of commerce
   
                                           N0AA Coasted Services Center Library
                                           2234 South Hobson Avenue
                                           Charleston, SC 29405-2413
 













              Dear Friends and Colleagues:

              One of the greatest challenges to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
              is to ensure both the Nation's economic prosperity and healthy coastal environments forfuture
              generations. This complex mission is evident in the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NOAA
              Fisheries') work to protect, conserve, restore, and create habitatforfish and protected resources.
              Twenty-five years of NOAA Fisheries leadership have set the stage for NOAA to renew its
              commitment to habitat science and management programs and to the partnerships that are so
              vital to successful stewardship.

              This publication is an important milestone in those efforts. I congratulate NOAA Fisheries on
              completing thisfirst National Habitat Planfor its National Habitat Program. My appreciation
              begins with NOAA Fisheries leadership, Rolland A. Schmitten and Nancy Foster, and extends to
              the entire National Habitat Program, encompassing scientists and managers from around the
              Nation. The plan and this summary are vibrant symbols of our obligation to the public, the
              resources, and our colleagues who share our commitment to the habitats of living marine

              resources.


              This plan marks 2 years of extensive work with our partners to determine future directionsfor
              NOAA Fisheries habitat programs. The dialogue with the general public, the environmental
              community, industry, state governments, and other Federal agencies will continue.

              Now, I ask that you join us as we shi our attentions to implementation. NOAA recognizes the
              value ofpartnership. We invite your ideas and encourage your assistance.

              I am proud to witness this milestone. Please join us in the pursuit of our mission!





                                                  D. James Baker
                                                  Under Secretary
                                                  U.S. Department of Commerce
                                                  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


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                                       The National Habitat Program

               Mission

               The National Habitat Program strives to protect,                                     'e.,                 <
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               conserve, restore, and create habitats and
               ecosystems vital to self-sustaining populations of
               living marine resources under NOAA Fisheries
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               stewardship.                                                                                              Qd
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               Vision

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               Healthy resources require viable habitat. The
               NOAA Fisheries envisions healthy, self-sustaining
               habitat for living marine resources. This vision
               requires expanded efforts to protect, conserve,
               restore, and create habitats and associated
               ecosystems. Success will increase habitat quality
               and quantity, with benefits to resources and
               constituents. National Habitat Program priorities
               reflect agency priorities related to riverine,
               estuarine, coastal, and oceanic habitats that are
               essential for anadromous and marine species.

               Strategic Outcomes                                    Tributary to Ammonoosuc River, a salmon stream in
                                                                     central New Hampshire.
               * Protect and conserve habitats from
                   human-induced degradation.

               * Restore degraded habitats.                                                                              <
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               * Create habitats to sustain higher resource                   ages    15WIcS
                   productivity.                                                                                         E
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                                                                     School children discussing their efforts to restore
                                                                     stream quality in Santa Rosa, California.
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                  Artist's rendering of an oyster reef, revealing ecological connections vital to habitat health.
                                         The National Habitat Plan will --

                  *   Implement a common agency vision of                      Develop scientific and management
                      achieving national living marine resource                capabilities to expand agency initiatives into
                      management objectives, and translate that                cumulative, secondary, and indirect impacts
                      vision into agency resource allocations.                 within an ecosystem (or watershed/drainage
                                                                               basin) context.
                  *   Coordinate environmental research and
                      management to address key habitat issues in              Establish effective lines of communication
                      riverine, estuarine, coastal, and oceanic areas.         with constituents to learn about their efforts
                                                                               and to discuss the NOAA Fisheries mission,
                  *   Emphasize proactive approaches with                      vision, strategic goals, priorities, and progress.
                      benefits to living marine resources and their
                      habitat, including an increased connection                                                                   &
                      with fishery and protected species
                      management.

                  *   Pursue interagency and public-private                                                                        CO
                      partnerships to leverage technical capabilities
                      and fiscal resources, resulting in increased
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                      effectiveness.                                                                                         ---CCU
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                  *   Fully implement the new "essential fish
                      habitat" provision of the Magnuson-Stevens
                      Fishery Conservation and Management Act             Spawning sockeye salmon.
                      to increase fish productivity for the benefit of
                      the Nation.


                                                                      4








                                             The National Habitat Plan

                The four major Plan elements are described on
                the following pages. The description for each
                element includes examples of recent successes                                                                      <
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                and highlights of future plans.

                Together, the successes reiterate the historic
                                                                                                                                   0
                strength of the National Habitat Program while
                                                                                                                                   a_
                our plans reflect new priorities. Readers may
                request the full document for further details.           Beach seining in Alaska.


                       Protect and Conserve

                                                                                                                                   0
                Assess human-induced impacts at levels ranging                                                                     Z,
                from sites to ecosystems, provide scientifically
                based advice to reduce or eliminate those

                                                                                                                                   a_
                impacts, and form partnerships to protect and
                conserve habitats of living marine resources.                                                          -7::-
                Track natural habitat trends for perspective and
                to assess progress.                                      Installing canal plug in Louisiana bayou.

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                       Restore and Create                                                                                          E
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                Restore and create habitat, thereby reversing the
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                net loss occurring from continued growth and                                                                       w
                development or resulting from natural events.
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                         Understand
                Obtain, interpret, and share scientific
                information needed to manage important
                habitats, increase awareness of habitat values,
                and enhance the agency's role.
                                                                         Transplanting seagrass plugs to test success.
                .Q@@ Operate
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                Support those actions by developing agency
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                policies, pursuing partnership agreements,                                                                         :1
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                leveraging funds, sharing staff, and other                                                                         C:
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                creative solutions that improve effectiveness and                                                                  6 E
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                efficiency.                                                                                       -=L
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                                                                         Negotiations on sustainable development.




                                                                      5








                               PROTECT AND                                Key recommendations:
                               CONSERVE
                                                                              Integrate habitat with fishery management
                 Protecting and conserving existing habitat is                and protected species activities;
                 significantly less costly than restoring or creating         Seek and implement legislative mandates that
                 habitat. While traditional approaches have been *expand opportunities to protect and conserve
                 successful, habitat losses are mounting and the              habitat;
                 overall health of many species continues to
                 decline. Regional and national priorities could              Review institutional agreements and seek
                 include: closer integration with other resource        * .
                 management initiatives; new policies on                      improvements based on this Plan and evolving
                 recurring issues or threats; stronger legislative            priorities;
                 mandates such as the essential fish habitat                  Establish national and regional policies and
                 provisions of the Sustainable Fisheries Act of               guidance;
                 1996; improved use of long-term, large-scale
                 recommendations such as hydropower license                   Pursue partnerships to leverage funds and
                 conditions and conservation plans; and greater         *increase success, especially on an ecosystem or
                 focus on cumulative/secondary effects. Our                   watershed basis;
                 broad mission offers many partnership
                 opportunities and will relate closely to our                 Redirect National Habitat Program focus to
                 ecosystem/watershed approach. Four examples                  proactive approaches;
                 illustrate how this element will assess habitat
                 quantity and quality issues related to human
                 impacts and natural events.                            *Use special teams to address priority issues.


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                 Coastal marsh monitoring in Chesapeake Bay, a           Habitats of endangered sea turtles also need
                 partnership protection effort.                          conservation.








                                                                       6







                 HABITAT CONSULTATION efforts ranging                         Success Stoty
                 from permit reviews for small projects to grand
                 plans to maintain habitat values for special                 HO US TON SHIP CHANNEL BENERML
                 management areas. The Plan calls for:                        USES PLAN is the result of a successful
                     Continued emphasis on wetland, waterway,                 collaboration between the Port of Houston
               *and hydropower permit reviews;                                and seven state and federal agencies, including
                                                                              NOAA Fisheries. From 1990 - 1995 the
                     Increased focus on ecosystems or watersheds;             Beneficial Uses Group developed a list of sites
                                                                              where beneficial use of material dredged from
                     Full implementation of essential fish habitat            the widening and deepening of the Houston
                     provisions.                                              Ship Channel would result in improvements
                                                                              to aquatic resources habitat. The interagency
                 Two success stories highlight the potential to               plan to create 4,250 acres of intertidal. habitat
                 influence hundreds of acres and important                    over the next 50 years has the broad support of
                 habitat values, often in combination with                    the federal agencies, state agencies, Congress,
                 restoration and creation initiatives.                        local citizens, and environmental groups.
                                               Rolland A. Schmitten,          A pilot project initiated in 1993 involved
                                               NOAA's Assistant               pumping approximately 1.6 million cubic
                                               Administrator for
                                                                              yards of dredged material into a diked area on
               IL                              Fisheries, has urged
               <                                                              Atkinson Island. Marsh vegetation was planted
               <                               increased use of
               0
               Z                               innovative consultative        in test plots designed to evaluate the wedand
                                               practices.                     functions of the site are planned in the corning
                                                                              years. This 220-acre "living laboratory" serves
               P
                                                                                    example of how collaboration among
                                                                              as an
               CL
                                                                              federal and state agencies can benefit both
                                                                              commerce and natural resources.



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                 Port of Houston demonstration marsh on Atkinson Island.

                                                                         7










                                                                                 Nancy Foster, Deputy
                    Success Story                                                Assistant Administrator
                                                                                 for NOAA Fisheries, and                Adak                 U_
                    BA TIQUITOS LA GO ON RES TOR,4 TION                          lead NOAA                                                   <
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                    PROJECT is the largest lagoon and wetland                    Interagency Working                      k2w-
                    restoration effort in southern California.                   Group on the Dredging
                                                                                 Process.
                                                                                 representative to the


                    Nearly 500 acres of non-tidal habitat is being
                    dredged at a cost of $55 million to reestablish
                    tidal flushing and recreate marine and
                                                                                                                                             .02
                    estuarine habitats that were lost decades ago.                                                                           =
                    California halibut and other important                                                      I
                    recreational and commercial species will
                    benefit from the restored lagoon habitats. The               DREDGING AND DREDGED MATERIAL
                    project is being completed by the Port of Los                DISPOSAL offer the agency tremendous
                    Angeles at NOAA Fisheries' request to offset                 opportunities to influence habitat quality and
                    port-related habitat impacts.                                quantity. Two successful ventures in Chesapeake
                    Like the Bolsa Chica agreement, this project                 Bay highlight the role NOAA Fisheries hopes to
                    underscores the importance of diligent                       play in future dredging decisions:
                    negotiations and environmental creativity.                       NOAA Fisheries will pursue more proactive
                    Construction of this innovative, award-                    *opportunities;
                    winning project began in 1995 with extensive               .i&Beneficial use goals and NOAA Fisheries
                    work on bridges and roadways, continued                          management plans will form the basis of
                    throu .gh 1996 with dredging and shoreline                       efforts to conserve and protect valuable
                    stabilization, and is expected to be completed                   habitats.
                    in early 1997.


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                  Batiquitos Lagoon looking east into restoration site.          Clamshell dredge commonly used in      nearshore
                                                                                 dredging operations.




                                                                             8









                Success Story
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           2
                DREDGED MATERIAL DISPOSAL SITE
                designations involve contentious ecological,
                economic, social, and legal issues. When
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                Maryland began its search for a new disposal
                site, NOAA Fisheries recommended an
                innovative approach to minimize contention
                while focusing efforts to identify high-value
                resource areas. User group tensions decreased
                and the approach identified several potential
                disposal sites. This procedure could serve as a                                                            model for how agencies, industries, and                                                              citizens can collaborate on siting challenges
                associated with aquaculture facilities,
                municipal docks, sand extraction sites, and
                other permitted activities that often affect Northerly perspective of eroding land in the Poplar
                habitat.                                     Island complex, showing sunken barges which protect
                                                             remaining uplands.

                                                          
               Oyster Bar Bounderies
                Historical Extents of SAV
                High Perennial Waterfowl
                   
                Concentration Areas                                                             Success Story
                Recreational Fishery Areas.                                             POPLAR ISLAND HABITAT
                High Relief Bottom Areas     
                Spawning Reaches                 
                Important Commercial Finfishing Areas                                    RESTORATION PROJECT was the first 
              (< 2ppt. 10-yr mean)                
                 Soft Clam Harvest Areas
               
                                                             large-scale, beneficial -
-use project involving
                                                            
                                                            
                                                              Chesapeake Bay dredged materials. Clean
                                                        _ materials that are dredged from upper-Bay
                                                              navigation channels will be used to restore an
                                                              eroding island and create fish habitats. Lessons
                           
                                                              learned should prove useful where shoreline
                                                           
                                                              erosion is a major cause of habitat loss.

                                                            
                                                             Habitat values associated with the Project will
                                                              also offset lost Bay bottoms affected by
                                                              maintenance dredging. NOAA Fisheries
                                                              contributed to project design and baseline
                                                              monitoring and will continue to provide
                                                              ecological oversight.




                High-value living resource areas in northern
                Chesapeake Bay identified in dredged material
                disposal discussions.


                                                            






               MITIGATION BANKS offer opportunities to             Success Story
               protect lands to offset the unavoidable impacts
               of development that affect wetlands and             SANDY ISLAND MITIGATION BANK
               waterways. NOAA Fisheries participated in the       offered an early opportunity to implement the
               White House Wetlands Working Group to               1996 White House guidance. NOAA Fisheries
               establish mitigation banking guidance and is        signed an interagency Memorandum of
               now actively applying the guidance around the       Agreement with its partners in South Carolina
               Nation:                                             and Federal agencies representing regulatory,
              *
                   NOAA Fisheries co-sponsored training to         construction, and development interests. A
                   establish common mitigation banking             $14 million, 9,000 acre mitigation bank was
                   practices;                                      established in 1996 to offset unavoidable
                                                                   environmental impacts of highway
                   NOAA Fisheries provided fish habitat            construction projects in South Carolina. The
             *perspective.                                         agreement will protect wetlands and adjacent
                                                                   uplands with outstanding fish and wildlife
                                                                   value. This agreement will serve as a model
                                                                   elsewhere for mitigation banking and agency
                                                                   partnerships.




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               Western and eastern views of the Huntington Wetlands Mitigation Project (California) where a levee was removed
               from the Santa Ana River to restore tidal flushing.


















                                                               10







                             RESTORE AND                              Fisheries leadership role in restoration and
                 0                                                    creation projects offers the opportunity to
                             CREATE                                   promote this important component of the
                                                                      National Habitat Program.
                 Habitat restoration and creation complement
                 protection and conservation in our efforts to        The ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural
                 retain habitat function and value. While             challenges of restoration and creation are
                 protection and conservation are more cost            immense. NOAA Fisheries considers community
                 effective, restoration is evolving as a valid        needs and environmental ethics when setting
                 technique to reverse habitat loss. NOAA              priorities.


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                 Marsh revegetation component of Exxon Bayway oil spill restoration effort in New York City.



                 Key Recommendations:

                     Establish habitat restoration and creation as        Use restoration opportunities to improve and
                     integral strategies in resource and ecosi,           share technical expertise with government and
                     management;                                          private partners.
                0
                     Emphasize restoration in the natural resource
                     damage assessment process;










               HABITAT RESTORATION AND                                    Innovative underwater coral reef
               CREATION include a complex mix of agency                   reconstruction work after vessel groundings
               activities. The Oil Pollution Act, the                     in the Florida Keys;
               Comprehensive Environmental Response,
               Compensation, and Liability Act, and the                   Extensive urban harbor restoration efforts
               National Marine Sanctuaries Act enable the                 following chemical contamination in Puget
               government to compensation through                         Sound, with ecosystem impacts to
               restoration damages for impacts resulting from             anadromous fish and legal implications for
               oil spills, toxic chemical contamination, and              tribal treaty rights;
               physical injuries.
                                                                          New partnerships with oil spill response and
               Our mandate is to restore, replace, or acquire      *clean-up agencies to initiate restoration
               resources equivalent to those injured. NOAA                activities shortly after each event.
               is a national leader in the legal, economic, and
               ecological challenges of restoration.                 Each project involves partners from local, state,
                                                                     regional, and federal agencies, and strong public
               We are an active partner in about $1 billion in       participation. This extensive experience enables
               restoration projects, including:                      NOAA Fisheries to improve restoration
                                                                     techniques and to expand capabilities at both the
                  Complex efforts to remove PCBs and restore         local and regional levels.
                  ecological health and economic vitality to
                  New Bedford Harbor (Massachusetts);





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               Contaminated stream below debris dam at the Iron Mountain Mine Superfund site, California.



                                                                  12








                 Success Story                                                                                      _0 Q)
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                 THE MIVALEC OWENMAITLAIVD AND
                 THE MIVELPIS ran aground in the Florida
                 Keys National Marine Sanctuary in October
                                                                                                                      <
                 1989. Both groundings and salvage efforts
                                                                                                                      0
                 caused extensive coral reef injuries.

                                            NOAA recovered
                 Through legal settlements,
                 funds to restore both grounding sites.
                 Working with our partners in the U.S. Army                          4
                 Corps of Engineers, NOAA stabilized the reef
                 structures at the two sites, prevented
                                                                   Example of extensive coral reef damage after
                 secondary injury from loose coral rubble, and     grounding and salvage efforts.
                 recreated the three-dimensional habitat
                 necessary to hasten natural recovery. At the
                 smaller MIVElpis site, limestone rock and                                                          O.T
                                                                                                                    Z 5
                                                                                                                    0 0
                 sand were placed into the damaged area to
                 restore the natural landscape. More extensive                                                      2-5
                 damage at the MIVMaitlandsite required that
                 40 concrete units be constructed on land for
                 placement into the crater. In an unique
                                                                                                                    a_ 0
                 application of ocean engineering, non-
                 separable concrete was poured between the
                 units to fuse them and to connect the new
                 structure to the surrounding reef.


                                                                   Engineering team deploying concrete blocks
                                                                   to restore structural integrity to the reef


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                                                                   Restored reef ecosystem, with sediments over
                                                                   concrete blocks (note block edge visible under
                                                                   sediments) and marine life returning.


                                                                 13








               COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING,                               Promoting sediment deposition to enhance
               PROTECTION, AND RESTORATION ACT i0wetland accretion;
               OF 1990 (CWPPRA) includes major
               commitments to protect and restore the Nation's          Revitalizing barrier island habitats to protect
               wetlands. Louisiana receives highest priority            inland wetlands.
               since the state has about 40% of the coastal
               wetlands in the lower 48 states and is               The Louisiana projects are heavily dependent
               experiencing about 80% of the nation's coastal       upon cooperation with local industry, parish
               wetland loss. A state/federal task force is now      governments, land owners, and partners in state
               implementing a state-wide strategy to slow           and federal agencies. Projects include a wide
               wetland loss and to create new habitat by:           variety of restoration activities. CWPPRA
                                                                    reaffirms the importance of partnerships,
                   Reversing hydrological alterations;              financial leverage, local participation, and other
                                                                    facets that underlie the National Habitat Plan.






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               Louisiana coastal wetlands, revealing natural change and cumulative effects of human activities.









                                                                  14






                    Success Story                                          Success Stoty

                    THE MYRTLE GROVE DIVERSION                             BIG ISLAND, located at the mouth of the
                    project is one example of local/state/federal          Atchafalaya River, was created with dredged
                    cooperation to restore wetland functions.              material from the Atchafalaya River
                    Under the Coastal Wetlands Planning,                   navigation channel. Although no spoil has
                    Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA), a             been deposited on the island since the mid-
                    federal/state task force has been awarding             1980s, the location and height of the island
                    funds to implement wetland restoration                 prevents the river delta from expanding and
                    projects since 1991. NOAAFisheries                     creating new wetlands along the western side
                    coordinates several large-scale projects to            of the river's main channel.
                    protect and restore wetlands such as the
                    Myrtle Grove project along the Mississippi             A 500-foot wide, 10-foot deep channel will be
                    River in Plaquernines Parish. Large siphon             dredged just north of Big Island at a 45-degree
                    pipes will divert approximately 2, 100 cubic           angle to the navigation channel of the
                    feet of water per second, distributing water           Atchafalaya River. The project's main channel
                    and sediments over 15,000 acres. When                  will graduate into several smaller channels
                    completed, the $15 million project is                  designed to allow sediment and fresh water to
                    anticipated to protect, enhance, and create            once again reach the western side of the
                    more than 10,250 acres of prime habitat for            Atchafalaya River delta lobes, creating
                    coastal and marine resources.                          approximately 300 acres of wetlands. More
                                                                           than 1,200 acres of marsh are expected to
                    The Myrtle Grove project is strongly                   form naturally over the life of the project.
                    supported by the state and Plaquernines and
                    Jefferson Parishes.

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                    NOAA Fisheries is the federal sponsor for 10                                                   L
                    other CVTPRA restoration projects. Each
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                    project is implemented with state cooperation
                    for engineering, construction, monitoring,
                    and operations/maintenance.
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                            AM                                         -20 Big Island Restoration Project to create delta islands in
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                                                 -WO,        -.W-         Louisiana.






                  These large siphons will move fresh water and sediment
                  from the Mississippi River to renourish and restore the
                  productivity of the adjacent marshes.

                                                                       15














                                                                                ID
         COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION is an                                          15
         integral component of all restoration projects.
                                                                     .41
         The National Habitat Plan envisions local and
         regional participation to ensure that we achieve      7;      r
         our goals of sustainable natural reosurces and
         economies.                                                             co
        Q
            Financial support and restoration assistance
           L helping dozens of communities and local
            groups to undertake small-scale restoration
                                                                          t     2
            activities;

                                                .,., 41
            Innovative, cost-effective pilot projects meet
            community needs and achieve effective
            restoration;
                                             Community restoration project in Palm Bay, Florida to
            Partnerships with non-governmental control exotic coastal vegetation.
            organizations, the public, and industry are
            often supplemented by local volunteers who
            help to restore habitat or to monitor
            effectiveness.





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         Community project to restore oyster reefs in Chesapeake Bay.








                                           16












                             Mk
                                            UNDERSTAND *@-@Implement the National Habitat Research
                                                                           Plan;
                 The Plan renews NOAA Fisheries commitment           @'-4-Evaluate research and management
                 to understand habitat functions and values and            programs, inventory needs, and set priorities;
                 to communicate that knowledge to others.
                 Habitat research is a high priority that will be    '1-44w-Share research results, technology, and
                 pursued within the NOAA science hierarchy in              information with partners and constituents;
                 full cooperation with partners in academia, other
                 agencies, and the private sector. The best          *),--*-Package research results for managers,
                 scientific information must be communicated to            including synthesis documents and journal
                 the public and private sectors so the agency can          reports.
                 pursue its habitat management and research
                 objectives with the greatest prospects of success.    Among our highest priorities are research on the
                 RESEARCH includes a mix of basic                      ecological value of various habitats, studies of the
                 investigations to understand natural functions        effects of human activities on habitats, and the
                 and applied effort to support resource                effects of diminished habitat value on living
                 management. Science and management                    marine resource populations.
                 coordination begins with a process designed to
                 identify habitat information needs, to compare
                 needs with research capabilities, to review
                 funding sources and partnership opportunities,                                                            ui
                 and to prepare a plan to meet needs.

                 NOAA Fisheries has planned regional and
                 national meetings to implement the NMFS
                 National Habitat Research Plan. The NOAA                                                                    LL
                                                                                                                           20

                                                                                                                           0
                                                                                                                           '6
                 Fisheries Southeast Region has a long history of                                                            0
                 science/management interaction that will be
                 adapted to meet our needs elsewhere in the
                 country. Our efforts will involve frequent
                                                                       Diver conducting research in Gulena Bay, Alaska, on
                 interactions with partners in the private sector      effects of pipeline ballast water on the biota.
                 and elsewhere in government agencies.

                 Research is a basic function of NOAA Fisheries
                 and a vital component of the National Habitat
                 Plan. The Plan lists recommendations for
                 action, including:









                                                                      17















                                                                                                                         A?
                   Success Story
                                                                                                                         U-
                                                                                                                         <
                                                                                                                         <
                                                                                                                        io
                   "THE HABITAT RESEARCH PLAN OF                                                                         Z
                                                                                      -V-0
                   THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES
                   SERVICE" was approved by NOAA
                   Fisheries in 1995. The Plan encompasses                                          '8
                                                                                                                         ca
                   five areas of research needs:


                       Understand the structure and function
                       of natural ecosystems, their linkages,
                       and their role in supporting and
                       sustaining the abundance, distribution,
                       and health of living marine resources;        Fyke net sampling at a marsh created from
                                                                     dredged material In North Carolina.
                       Quantify the response of habitats and
                       living marine resources to natural and
                       anthropogenic alterations;
                                                                                                                         <
                                                                                                                         0
                I--*- Develop and evaluate new techniques
                       to restore or create productive habitats
                       of living marine resources;                                                                       co

                       Develop indicators to simplify                                                                    2
                       determinations of habitat impacts or                                                              0
                                                                                                                         CL
                       recovery,

                       Synthesize research and communicate
                       findings to managers.
                                                                     Researchers quantify ecological effects of the January
                                                                     1996 North Cape oil spill off southern Rhode Island.
                   NOAA Fisheries has surveyed its
                   "Management Information Systern@' to
                   summarize existing habitat research
                   activities according to the five research
                                                                                                                         -0
                                                                                                                         Z
                   needs. The resulting data base and
                   accompanying narrative offers insights into
                   geographic, species, and subject coverage.
                   Once analyzed, the information will prove                                     /*
                   useful when assessing research and
                   management needs, setting priorities,                         'i      Y@     1
                   pursuing partnerships with academia and
                                                                                                                         06
                   other agencies, and allocating funds.



                                                                     Effects of vessel propellers on submerged
                                                                     vegetation in Florida.


                                                                  18






                 OUTREACH is a vital extension of our research            Success Story
                 and management efforts. The Plan emphasizes
                 activities with the greatest potential to influence
                 habitat-related decisions, such as syntheses of          THE SEVENTH AMERICAN FOREST
                 research results or constituent meetings that            CONGRESS typifies our efforts to work with
                 generate recommendations for priorities and              many interests to address complex issues. The
                 funding levels:                                          Forest Congress was convened in early 1996
                                                                          to create a national dialogue on a shared
                 Key recommendations:                                     vision for America's forests. NOAA Fisheries
                                                                          participated in discussion groups involving
                     Provide a continuous exchange of scientific          industry, government, scientists, developers,
                     expertise among science and management               land owners, and interested citizens. The
                     offices and decision makers within NOAA              groups developed 13 vision elements and 61
                     and outside the agency;                              principles related to forest management
                                                                          practices extending into the next century.
                     Develop educational and informational                In addition to its lead role on fish habitat
                     products and services to stimulate                   issues, the agency hosted an exhibit and
                     participation;                                       information booth to share NOAA Fisheries
                     Pursue partnerships for outreach, education,         experiences with the forest community. We
                     publications, and other habitat initiatives.         distributed a recent NOAA Coastal Ocean
                                                                          Program report on the effects of forest
                 Our outreach effort will be based on close               practices on anadromous fish streams, shared
                 collaboration with our partners in the private           information on habitat research and
                 sector, academia, and other federal agencies. In         management activities, and discussed the
                 many instances, co-authorship or joint                   agencys keen interest in forest ecosystem
                 sponsorship will enhance our efforts. Examples           issues as related to trust resources and their
                 include outreach programs for local efforts such         habitats.
                 as Superfund site restorations at Commencement
                 Bay in Puget Sound, state-wide ventures like the                                                             .2
                 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and
                 Restoration Program in Louisiana, and national
                                                                                                                              0
                 programs such as Coastal America. NOAA                                                                       Z,
                 Fisheries also supports schools and special
                 interest groups interested in habitat issues.  The
                 agency exhibits at conferences and trade shows                                                               co
                 with a primary goal of connecting with
                 organizations and individuals who can make a
                 direct contribution to habitat initiatives either
                 alone or with NOAA Fisheries.                              Avg&&
                                                                         Participants debating forestry issues at the American
                                                                         Forest Congress.








                                                                      19





                441@) 0 P E R AT E                                       Success Story
                This element includes broad initiatives that             In KAWAIHAE BAY, HAWAII, NOAA
                provide crucial support to overall operations,           Fisheries proposed and coordinated an
                both within the agency and with our colleagues           unprecedented effort to transplant nearly 15
                                                                         tons of live coral colonies from two sites
                elsewhere. Operational activities include                about to be disturbed by construction of a
                initiating innovative, cooperative habitat               small boat harbor. Besides being the worla's
                conservation efforts with fishery councils and           first successful, large-scale coral transplant
                commissions, state agencies, federal agencies,           effort, the agency also forged new
                industry, academia and tribal councils. These            partnerships with local schools for the
                efforts are designed to expand NOAA Fisheries'           restoration work and long-term monitoring.
                influence and involvement with coastal                   Volunteer divers were deployed from the
                watersheds and airsheds. This is done through            Hawaii Prepatory Academy to lift coral from
                greater proactive involvement in such activities as      the seafloor and transport the colonies to two
                remediating Superfunds and oil spill sites,              new locations. Monitoring by the University
                developing monitoring programs, initiating               of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology will
                outreach programs and creating the necessary             document survival and growth rates.
                resources to ensure full implementation of the
                essential fish habitat provisions of the                 This project confirmed the value of public-
                Magnuson-Stevens Act.                                    private partnerships, in this case with two
                                                                         academic institutions. Funding from the
                Key recommendations:                                     U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ensured that
                                                                         the innovative engineering and biological
              -Ze) Work with constituents to identify research,          steps would proceed smoothly.
                   management, policy, and other priorities and
                   to allocate resources;

                                                                                                                             Z5
              -Z@) Develop systems to monitor program                                                                        U_
                   accomplishments and evaluate effectiveness;                                                               0

              4e) Develop and implement multi-year budget
                   initiatives commensurate with program
                   needs and incorporate into NOAA strategic
                   plans;
                                                                                                   4q*                       00
                                                                                                                             0
              -Ze) Expand the use of new technologies to                                                                     0
                   analyze information and communicate                                                               W,
                   results.                                            Fifteen tons of live coral colonies were successfully
                                                                       transplanted in Kawaihae Bay, Hawaii.









                                                                   20







    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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