
![]() |
Progress on CCMP Priorities? When scientists, decision-makers, environmental advocates and concerned citizens gather at the third State of the Estuary conference in March (see Calendar), a big question will be "How are we doing in implementing the S.F. Estuary Project's 1993 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan?" To answer that, Estuary's editors need your help preparing a newCCMP Workbook evaluating progress made on the following 10 priority actions identified in a 1996 workshop: 1. Expand, restore and protect Bay-Delta wetlands. Acquire more wetlands; restore non-wetland areas to wetlands or riparian habitat; complete a comprehensive regional wetlands management plan; and enhance the biodiversity within wetlands. 2. Integrate and improve regulatory, planning, management and scientific monitoring programs. Promote multi-agency regulatory requirements and monitoring protocols to expedite implementation of ecosystem planning; address multi-media and local/regional relationships; reduce analysis paralysis; and secure additional funding. 3. Create economic incentives that encourage local government to implement measures to enhance the Estuary. Make federal and state funds available for local watershed planning and other programs that protect the Estuary; identify financial barriers to and propose alternative funding arrangements for environmentally sensitive land use. 4. Improve the management and control of urban runoff. Increase long-term education programs on pollution prevention and extend stormwater programs; develop mass-emissions strategies to reduce both point and nonpoint source pollution; reduce pollutant loadings from transportation. 5. Prepare and implement watershed management plans throughout the Estuary. Include watershed management in Local General Plans; develop a manual of how to integrate local stormwater, watershed, wetland protection and other CCMP consistent planning initiatives; and educate the public about the connections between land use, transportation and water quality. 6. Reduce and control exotic species introductions and spread in the Estuary. In addition, educate the public about exotic species impacts on the Estuary. 7. Build awareness about CCMP implementation. 8. Increase public awareness about the Estuary's natural resources and the need to protect them. In particular, develop grassroots outreach and school-based education programs. 9. Implement the Regional Monitoring Program and integrate the results of scientific monitoring into management and regulatory actions. Build on the 1993 regional monitoring strategy and expand program to address all five key CCMP issues (dredging, pollution, biological resources, land use and freshwater diversion); update monitoring strategy for urban runoff (including air deposition); develop study sites where hydrology, contaminants and biological components are all monitored. 10. Work with federal and state agencies to include CCMP recommendations in other planning and restoration efforts and funding decisions. If you know of any policies, programs or activities relating to any of these priorities and adopted or implemented since 1996, please contact Cariad Hayes at (510)547-1168, (510)547-6287 (fax) |
||||||||
|
|||||||||