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• Fall of 2008 NY, NJ, DE, MD and VA CZM Programs began drafting Governors’ Agreement.
• June 4, 2009 Governors announced signing of Ocean Conservation Agreement.
State CZM Programs Form
MARCO
• Protect and conserve our ocean resources for current and future generations.
• Take an ecosystem-based management approach.
• Promote a regional agenda at the national level.
• Partner with federal and external stakeholders to ensure success.
Guiding Principles of the Agreement
Four MARCO Priority Issues:
1. Habitat2. Renewable Offshore Energy3. Climate Change4. Water Quality
1) Protect the 10 major offshore canyons from harmful or damaging activities.
2) Identify other key Mid-Atlantic habitats (such as migration corridors) at risk from damaging activities and seek appropriate protection measures.
3) Create a regional internet mapping system to identify areas unsuitable for certain activities due to the presence of key habitats.
4) Create Mid-Atlantic marine habitat protection and restoration policies to guide management.
Step 1: Document ecological value of, and identify threats to, the canyons.
Step 2: Identify most appropriate canyon
protection tools.
Step 3: Work with NOAA and other federal agencies with jurisdiction to adopt appropriate canyon protection measures.
Task 1: Protect the 10 Major Offshore Canyons
Step 1: Synthesize existing habitat mapping & monitoring data.
Task 2: Identify Other Key Mid-Atlantic Habitats
Step 2: Identify and fill data gaps.
Task 2: Cont’d.
Step 3: Conduct stakeholder workshops.
Task 2: Cont’d.
Step 1: Build a draft MARCO GIS Portal.
Step 2: Secure a permanent server for MARCO portal.
Task 3: Create a Regional Internet Mapping System
$93K in VA CZM Grants to TNC to Map Marine Habitats & Create MARCO Portal
1) Develop and finalize shared research and monitoring protocols for assessing impacts of energy development in terms of construction and operation on ocean and coastal resources.
2) Define regulatory steps, time frames, and potential barriers to development of offshore renewable energy resources.
3) Complete an offshore use map to facilitate siting of renewable energy projects to minimize adverse impacts to other ocean users and ecological services.
1) Identify key infrastructure vulnerable to sea level rise and flood hazards at a coarse scale.
2) Acquire data to assess regional vulnerability to climate change and sea level rise impacts to infrastructure and coastal habitats.
3) Create a regional/ national GIS.
4) Facilitate information exchange.
5) Initiate sea level rise adaptation measures to collectively reduce the region’s vulnerability.
1) Promote greater federal investments for infrastructure upgrades to region’s wastewater treatment infrastructure.
2) Reduce amount of human-derived debris and floatables entering waterways and the ocean.
3) Improve delivery and expand data collected on water quality to better predict impairments and assess effectiveness of wq improvement efforts.
4) Develop agenda to address atmospheric sources of nitrogen and other toxins that contaminate ocean waters.
Check “midatlanticocean.org” for Updates!
Major Coastal Issues Facing Virginia are same as for MARCO
1.Habitat Protection
2.Offshore Wind Energy Development
3.Climate Change
4.Water Quality
Habitat: Special Area Management Plans - Seaside Marine Spatial Plan
3
Wind Class
4
5
6
Bathymetry
<4 meters
Shipping lanes(¼ mile buffer)
Military exclusions
FAA restrictions
Public Private Shellfish Grounds
Continental and Regional Importance to Birds
Data and maps provided by:
SB1350 Offshore Wind Energy In State Waters
Offshore Wind Energy in Federal WatersTwo Wind Companies looking to locate~12 miles offshore of Virginia
Beach
MMS lease blocks are4.8 km x 4.8 km, with each block having 7 x 7 turbines.
Turbines spaced 685 mapart (7.6 rotor diameters)
Each lease block could contain 49 turbines= 147 MW if V-90 3 MW (6.4 MW per km2)GIS layers and
calculations by Remy Luerssen, James Madison University
Climate Change: Local Plans New VA CZM Focal Area
$400K per year for 3 years: Oct 08 Sep 11
Protecting Blue & Green
Infrastructure
&
Adapting to Climate Change
Where to Next?What Do We Need to Move Ahead?
Macrofauna Maps (esp. birds, marine mammals, sea turtles and finfish)
Human Use Maps (esp recreational fishing areas)
LIDAR (esp maps showing sea level rise over time intervals)
