NEWS

Seabird Distribution, Marine Mammal Data, and Seafloor Priorities

Posted by & filed under Reports.

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) completed three projects to inform Washington’s marine spatial plan:

  • Development of species distribution models for key seabird species along the outer coast of Washington.
  • Evaluation of marine mammal datasets (species distribution models are under development).
  • Prioritization of areas for future seafloor mapping activities and identification of the underlying drivers and management needs associated with the priorities.

Below are a few figures to display some of the NCCOS work.

  • Seabird Models
    The figures below represent modeled distributions of Tufted Puffins and Black-footed Albatross predicted for April-October. The team also created distribution models for Marbled Murrelets, Common Murre, Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed Shearwater, and Sooty Shearwater.

    Seabird Models

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  • Marine Mammal Survey Inventory
    The figure below shows marine mammal survey locations. The NCCOS team performed a data inventory of all marine mammal surveys off the coast of Washington including large whales, resident whales, pinnipeds, cetaceans, sea otters, turtles, haulouts, acoustic tracking, and others. The team is pulling together these different sources, providing a comparable platform, and will analyze the data through a model. Species distribution models for key marine mammal species will be available at the end of 2015.
    Seabird Models

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  • Seafloor Data Collection Priority Areas
    The tool provides access to data about the type, extent, year, and source of seafloor mapping surveys that have been conducted on Washington’s coast. NCCOS took inventory of the available seafloor mapping information and worked with marine and coastal management entities to determine priorities for potential seafloor data collection and to identify ways in which the management entities may work together in the future.
    Seabird Models

 
 
For more information, read the Seabird Model Final Report, read the Marine Mammal Inventory Report, read the Seafloor Mapping Report, browse the Technical and Mapping Support Report or view the seafloor data viewer.

Ecosystem Models for the Coast – Describing Nature

Posted by & filed under News, Reports.

The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) developed conceptual peer reviewed models of habitats within Washington State’s marine spatial planning study area that represent important ecological components, physical drivers, and human activities within each habitat. The habitats include the large coastal estuaries of Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, rocky shores, sandy beaches, kelp forests, seafloor, and the pelagic zone.

The estuary model below depicts the important ecological components and interactions of Washington’s large coastal estuaries. In addition, the models show which physical drivers are most important and the human activities that are most prevalent in each of the habitats. These models form the foundation for selecting indicators that can be used to assess the status and trends of components within each habitat type.

Estuary conceptual model

The team also selected indicators to represent the important components, drivers, and activities of each habitat. They developed tables that describe important attributes and evaluated the usefulness of various indicators for each of the components, drivers, and activities. The indicators can now be used to measure and track the status and trends of components that we care about within each of the habitat types. The status and trends of these indicators form the basis of assessing how ecological components are doing relative to the oceanographic or estuarine environment and the human activities occurring within the system.

For more information, read the Ecosystem Indicator Final Report, view the maps in the Appendix, or visit the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment webpage.

International Kite Festival with Sea Grant

Posted by & filed under Events, Washington Sea Grant.

Join Washington Sea Grant’s Kevin Decker for an exciting weekend at the 35th annual Washington State International Kite Festival, August 22-23 at Long Beach, Washington.

There are exciting events taking place all week long. Bring your own kite, make a new onw, view the incredible variety of kites and ways to fly them while enjoying your time on the longest beach in the state.

Some of the weekend events include:

Saturday:
Don’t miss the Sport kite events, the Rokkaku challenge (cutting kites out of the sky using the team’s kite), the World Kite Museum auction, make your own kites, and be entertained by Yesango Marimba Ensemble in the beer garden.

Sunday:
Even more Sport kite events, the memorial fly, and Hot Tricks (a head-to-head battle of the kites involving spins, flips, floats, and turns).

…and so much more!

For more information, visit:
MSP Events Calendar
Festival Website
 Festival Program

 
 

Q&A: What is the relationship between MSP and Shoreline Master Programs?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers.

Q:

What is the relationship between MSP and Shoreline Master Programs?

A:

The MSP and SMPs for Washington’s Pacific Coast share many common traits and are compatible planning processes that can be mutually beneficial. The MSP can provide information and analysis on ocean resources and uses and policy recommendations for local shoreline comprehensive updates or future local program amendments. SMPs can be a source of information for the MSP and provide a detailed implementation mechanism for the MSP in state waters.

The data and information products from the MSP’s initial stages can contribute to the ocean component of a local coastal shoreline inventory, analysis, and characterization. Once the draft marine spatial plan is completed, the resulting informational maps, recommended environment designations, and policies can be assessed and further refined by a local jurisdiction for the SMP’s environment designations, policies and regulations, and for use in the cumulative impacts analysis.

Further, local SMPs on Washington’s Pacific Coast are required to address the Ocean Management Guidelines. The Ocean Management Guidelines are state regulations that provide specific guidance on how to address ocean uses within a local SMP. Since the MSP law requires the integration and use of existing authorities, the Ocean Management Guidelines’ policies will also be incorporated into the information, analysis, and recommendations in the final MSP.

For more information, read the Department of Ecology’s summary of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Q&A: What’s the process for Washington to use federal consistency to review federal license or federal permit in federal waters?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers.

Q:

What’s the process for Washington to use federal consistency to review federal license or federal permit in federal waters?

A:

Under Washington’s Coastal Zone Management Program, the Washington State Department of Ecology can seek authority to review a federal permit or license activity in federal waters in one of two ways:

  1. request approval from NOAA to review a federal permit or license in federal waters on a case-by-case basis
  2. amend its CZMP to describe specific geographic areas in federal waters (called a geographic location description or GLD) where specified federal license or permit activities would be automatically subject to state review.

(See 15 C.F.R. §§ 930.53 and 930.54).

For more information, read the Department of Ecology’s summary of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Q&A: How do Shoreline Master Programs apply to federal consistency decisions for federal actions in state waters?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers.

Q:

How do Shoreline Master Programs apply to federal consistency decisions for federal actions in state waters?

A:

The Shoreline Management Act contains enforceable policies that have been incorporated into Washington’s CZMP. When a federal action occurs in state waters, the federal consistency review must evaluate how that action is consistent with the enforceable policies in the SMA and its regulations.

The state’s federal consistency review can be informed and guided by policies and standards within local
Shoreline Master Programs that the state has approved and adopted. The review can include consultation with the local government with jurisdiction where the federal action is occurring. While the state may consider local SMPs, any federal consistency objection by the state must be based on the enforceable policies in the
SMA and regulations.

For more information, read the Department of Ecology’s summary of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

New! Final Report Released: Economic Analysis to Support Marine Spatial Planning in Washington

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Reports.

Cascade Economics completed an analysis of the economies of Washington’s coastal communities. The economic analysis provides the tools and data to characterize baseline conditions for ocean uses and their important relationships to coastal communities on the Washington coast, and can be used to evaluate the economic consequences of proposed uses or planning options in the future.

The final report includes:

  • An economic profile of the Washington coast;
  • Economic profiles of coastal tribal communities;
  • Profiles of current marine sectors;
  • An analysis of ecosystem services;
  • A social well-being assessment;
  • A risk and vulnerability assessment; and
  • A qualitative analysis of potential new uses.

Economic Analysis Graphic
 
The final report provides several tables of with overall impact of a current marine sector from potential new human uses. The above figure shows the current marine sector, the report lists potential impacts for each sector, then compares and documents the potential impacts of potential new uses.

For more information, read the Executive Summary or the Final Economic Analyisis Report

Q&A: What is “federal consistency”?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers.

Q:

What is “federal consistency”?

A:

Under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA), Section 307 is the “federal consistency” provision that gives a coastal state Washington Department of Ecology administers the state’s CZMP and is responsible for implementing the state’s coastal management program and conducting federal consistency reviews. The specific type of federal action will determine whether a consistency determination or certification is required and what procedures must be followed to demonstrate consistency with the enforceable policies of Washington’s CZMP.

Ecology then reviews the federal action for consistency and either a strong voice, that it would not otherwise have, inbfederal agency decision-making for activities that may affect the coastal uses or resources of a state’s coastal zone. Generally, federal consistency requires that federal actions (which includes federally-permitted actions and federal government projects), within and outside the coastal zone, which have reasonably foreseeable effects on any coastal use (land or water) or natural resource of the coastal zone be consistent with the enforceable policies of a state’s federally approved coastal zone management program (CZMP).

Washington Department of Ecology administers the state’s CZMP and is responsible for implementing the state’s coastal management program and conducting federal consistency reviews. The specific type of federal action will determine whether a consistency determination or certification is required and what procedures must be followed to demonstrate consistency with the enforceable policies of Washington’s CZMP. Ecology then reviews the federal action for consistency and either concurs with, concurs with conditions, or objects. See NOAA’s regulations at 15 C.F.R. Part 930 and NOAA’s Federal Consistency Overview document for additional information about federal consistency and enforceable policies.

For more information, read the Department of Ecology’s summary of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Q&A: What is Washington’s coastal zone?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers.

Q:

What is Washington’s coastal zone?

A:

Under its Coastal Zone Management Plan, Washington’s coastal zone covers the full extent of 15 coastal counties, including offshore to 3 nautical miles and all inland areas of the county. Washington’s coastal zone counties are: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom and Wahkiakum.

The coastal zone has diverse regions: the Pacific Ocean coastal area including its estuaries and uplands; the Puget Sound basin including the upland areas to the crest of the Cascade Mountain range; and the lower Columbia River and its uplands.

For more information, read the Department of Ecology’s summary of the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Q&A: What is the jurisdiction of Washington State and local governments under the Shoreline Management Act?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers.

Q:

What is the jurisdiction of Washington State and local governments under the Shoreline Management Act?

A:

Washington State has jurisdiction in state waters from the shore out to three nautical miles (n.m.). The regulatory function of a local Shoreline Master Program depends on a local jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries. For counties on Washington’s Pacific Coast, westward regulatory limit of a Shoreline Master Program is the same as the extent of Washington’s state waters — three n.m. offshore.
The federal government maintains jurisdiction from 3 to 200 n.m. offshore. The Shoreline Management Act, Ocean Resources Management Act, and the Ocean Management Guidelines do not authorize local shoreline permitting in federal waters and do not authorize local policies for federal waters or federal agencies.
The planning function of a SMP may look beyond the territorial limits of shorelines of the state to adjacent lands (see also SMP Handbook Chapter 2: Shoreline Management Overview, Chapter 5: Shoreline Jurisdiction and Chapter 7: Inventory and Characterization). For example, the shoreline inventory and characterization for an SMP should include consideration of ecosystem-wide processes and functions that pertain to shorelines, but which are often outside of shoreline jurisdiction.

For more information, read the Department of Ecology’s summary of the Coastal Zone Management Act.