2016 estuary blueprint

The 2016 Estuary Blueprint reflects the changing context of Estuary management over the last few decades. While this version incorporates many of the original CCMP goals, it has a new focus on the need to plan and adapt to climate change. In addition, the actions in the new Estuary Blueprint address the results of our 2015 State of the Estuary assessment. This assessment examined numerous science-based indicators of the health of five Estuary attributes: water, living resources, habitats, ecological processes, and people. This strong link between science and management will allow for a more direct evaluation of the outcome of our Estuary Blueprint actions.

The 2016 Estuary Blueprint revision represents a major overhaul of earlier documents. The 2007 CCMP included over 200 actions. The new structure includes 32 actions to be carried out over five years, connected to 35-year goals and objectives. By focusing on a more manageable number of priority actions, and updating priorities every five years, the Partnership expects to be more responsive and adaptable in the face of uncertain and changing environmental conditions.

The 2016 Estuary Blueprint’s 32 Actions can also be found as individual PDF’s on our Action-By-Action page.

A major revision effort

The 2016 Estuary Blueprint was a massive revision effort that took place over nearly three years and is the result of countless hours of effort from a broad range of organizations across the Estuary. The 2016 revision was guided by the following key objectives:

• Implement a focused and strategic revision process that results in less than 50 priority actions.
• Increase coordination and integration within the San Francisco.
• Estuary Partnership’s entire planning area, both within the Bay and the Delta.
• Acknowledge key regional plans and policy documents developed since publication of the first CCMP.
• Include measurements to track progress for all actions and develop a tracking tool.
• Integrate the State of the Estuary Report, State of the Estuary Conference, the Partnership’s Strategic Plan, and the Estuary Blueprint in an adaptive management framework for the Partnership.

Several governing bodies directed the efforts of the Estuary Blueprint revision:

• San Francisco Estuary Partnership Implementation Committee (IC): The 27-member IC is made up of partners who are engaged in implementing the Estuary Blueprint. The IC meets quarterly and provided overall guidance, interim input, and final review and approval of the revised Estuary Blueprint.
• IC Estuary Blueprint Steering Committee: Comprised of volunteers from IC. The 12-person Steering Committee met periodically to guide and direct the overall update as representatives of the IC, and served as content experts on Estuary Blueprint Program Area Subcommittees.
• Estuary Blueprint Topic Area Subcommittees: Three initial subcommittees were formed on topic areas corresponding to the attributes of a healthy ecosystem as described in the 2011 State of the Bay Report: Living Resources, Habitats, and Water. The subcommittees were composed of Steering Committee members, San Francisco Estuary Partnership staff, and 20 additional outside experts. The subcommittees were responsible for developing key content for the revised Estuary Blueprint. Initially, the subcommittees met separately to develop content. They later joined to review the entire suite of goals, objectives, and actions.
• San Francisco Estuary Partnership Staff Team: The staff team managed the overall Estuary Blueprint revision process, including: developing agendas for and facilitating Steering Committee meetings; providing guidance for, and participating directly on, Program Area Subcommittees; and compiling all content.
• San Francisco Estuary Partnership Partners and General Public: Interested parties not on the Steering Committee and Topic Area Subcommittees provided input on interim products throughout the development process. A public draft of the Estuary Blueprint was released in 2015, and the document was revised in response to written comments. In addition, staff engaged partners and the general public through various forums including presentations, meetings, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership website, and State of the Estuary Conferences in 2013 and 2015.