Part
2, Sec. 1
Sanctuary Management Plan
Section
1: A Management Plan for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary
Introduction
National
marine sanctuaries are established in areas of the marine environment
which have been selected for their conservation, recreational,
ecological, historical, research, educational, or aesthetic
values. Regulations implementing the National Marine Sanctuary
Program (15 CFR Part 922) require the preparation of management
plans for all proposed sanctuaries. These management plans identify
long-term, comprehensive strategies for the administration and
operation of marine sanctuaries following designation. Strategies
focus on the site's goals and objectives, management responsibilities,
research and interpretation/ education programs, and plan implementation
policies. The management plan is also a public document, providing
information to government agencies, research and education institutions,
other organizations, and the interested public on how, why,
and by whom the Sanctuary will be protected and managed.
The
management plan establishes an administrative framework for
the Sanctuary that considers the cooperation and coordination
necessary to ensure effective management. The Sanctuaries and
Reserves Division (SRD), of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), however, retains overall responsibility
for site management.
Program
regulations also require that progress towards implementation
of the management plan and the goals of a designated Sanctuary
be evaluated every five years (or sooner). Evaluation takes
into account the variability of funding for staff and program
development, and recognizes the effects on specific aspects
of plan implementation. Modifications to the scope and scale
of a Sanctuary's programs may be required due to unforeseeable
changes in funding levels. However, the goals and objectives
of the management plan remain unchanged.
Sanctuary
Goals and Objectives
Sanctuary
goals and objectives provide the framework for developing management
strategies. The goals and objectives direct Sanctuary activities
towards the dual purposes of resource conservation and public
use, and are consistent with the intent of the National Marine
Sanctuary Program.
Management
strategies planned for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
are focused on the goals and objectives outlined below. Although
Sanctuary goals and objectives are listed discretely, their
effects overlap. For instance, research and interpretation/education
efforts contribute both to resource protection, and to enhancement
of public use of the Sanctuary.
1.
Resource Protection
The
highest priority management goal is protection of the marine
environment and resources of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary. Specific objectives of the resource protection program
are to:
• Establish
cooperative agreements and other mechanisms for coordination
among all the agencies participating in Sanctuary management;
• Develop
an effective and coordinated program for the enforcement of
Sanctuary regulations;
• Promote
public awareness of and voluntary user compliance with regulations
through an interpretation/education program stressing resource
sensitivity and wise use; and
• Reduce
threats to Sanctuary resources posed by major emergencies through
contingency and emergency response planning.
2.
Research
Both
site- and resource-specific research has been conducted in the
Stellwagen Bank/Cape Cod and Massachusetts Bays areas, particularly
with regard to cetacean use. Sanctuary research will build upon
existing data to improve overall understanding of the Stellwagen
Bank environment and resources, and to identify and resolve
specific management issues. Research results will be used in
interpretation and education programs, for visitors and others
interested in the Sanctuary, as well as for resource protection.
Specific objectives of the research program are to:
• Establish
a framework and procedures for administering research projects
to ensure that they are responsive to management concerns, and
that research results contribute to improved management of the
Sanctuary;
• Gather
necessary baseline data on the physical, chemical, and biological
characteristics of the Sanctuary;
• Gather
necessary baseline data on cultural and historical resources
of the Sanctuary;
• Monitor
and assess environmental changes as they occur;
• Identify
the range of effects on the Sanctuary environment resulting
from changes in human activities;
• Incorporate
research results into the interpretation/education program in
a format useful for resource users and the general public; and
• Encourage
information exchange among all agencies and organizations conducting
management-related research in the Sanctuary, to promote informed
management.
3.
Interpretation/Education
The
interpretation/education program is directed to improving public
awareness and understanding of the significance of the Sanctuary
and the need to protect its resources. Specific objectives of
the interpretation/education program are to:
• Provide
the public with information on the Sanctuary, and its goals
and objectives, with an emphasis on the need to use its resources
wisely to ensure their long-term viability;
• Enhance
and broaden support for the Sanctuary and Sanctuary management
by offering programs suited to visitors with a range of diverse
interests;
• Provide
for public involvement by encouraging feedback on the effectiveness
of interpretation/education programs; and
• Collaborate
with other organizations to provide interpretation/education
services, including extension and outreach programs and other
volunteer projects, that explain the purposes of the Sanctuary
and the National Marine Sanctuary Program.
4.
Visitor Use
The
Sanctuary's overall goal for visitor management is to encourage
commercial and recreational uses of the Sanctuary, compatible
with resource protection. Specific objectives of the visitor
use program are to:
• Provide
relevant information about Sanctuary resources and Sanctuary
uses policies;
• Collaborate
with public and private organizations in promoting compatible
uses of the Sanctuary by exchanging information concerning its
commercial and recreational potential; and
• Monitor
and assess the levels of Sanctuary use to identify and control
potential degradation of resources and minimize potential user
conflicts.
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