Developing the National System of Marine Protected Areas
Building a National
System of MPAs
The United States is developing a national system of marine protected
areas (MPA) to advance the conservation and sustainable use of
the nation’s vital natural and cultural marine resources.
As directed by Presidential Executive Order 13158, this effort
is being led by the National Marine Protected Areas Center, a
cooperative effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior and in
partnership with federal, state, territorial, local, and tribal
governments and stakeholders. The Executive Order directs the
MPA Center to first work together with governments and stakeholders
to develop a framework for these long-term efforts.
The national system of MPAs will:
- help increase efficient protection of U.S. marine resources by enhancing government cooperation;
- support the national economy by helping to sustain fisheries and maintain healthy marine ecosystems for tourism and recreation businesses; and
- promote public participation in MPA decision-making by improving access to scientific and public policy information.
Why Does the U.S.
Need a National System of MPAs?
Over the past several decades, the nation has witnessed a dramatic
increase in the use of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a conservation
and management tool to protect the nation’s natural and
cultural resources. These resources include coral reefs, kelp
forests, whales, shipwrecks, and a wide variety of marine life
in the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes vital to the nation’s
economic long-term and current prosperity. By helping to sustain
these critical habitats and resources, MPAs provide recreation
and economic opportunities for millions of Americans.
There are hundreds of federal, state, territorial, and tribal
MPA authorities and more than one thousand sites in U.S. waters.
Each site or authority most often has its own requirements, levels
of protection, and associated terminology. They range from no-take
reserves to allowing multiple uses, such as angling or boating
(less than 1 percent of MPAs in the U.S. are no-take reserves).
Despite their increasing use and substantial benefits, there are
few mechanisms to provide assistance to and support coordination
of the nation’s MPA efforts at the ecosystem, regional,
national, and international levels and across MPA programs and
levels of government.
A national system of MPAs will help existing MPA sites, programs,
and stakeholders work together to better share information and
coordinate their MPA management efforts, develop the necessary
scientific information to make more informed management decisions,
and improve the stewardship and effectiveness of existing of MPAs.
What are the Benefits
of a National System of MPAs?
These are some of the benefits that an effective national system
of MPAs may provide:
- Help ensure that examples of the nation’s major natural
and cultural resources are conserved, enhanced, and/or restored
in all geographic regions.
- Contribute to the nation’s economic health through
new or enhanced opportunities for tourism and recreation.
- Help increase the protection of U.S. marine resources by
encouraging stronger government agency efficiency and cooperation.
- Improve public access to scientific information and participation
in decision-making about the nation’s marine resources.
- Help sustain the nation’s commercial and recreational
fisheries and their economic and social benefits to coastal
communities.
- Increase the nation’s ability to protect and conserve
species whose life cycles span multiple jurisdictions.
- Support and highlight existing MPA efforts by state, tribal,
local, and federal governments.
- Link to MPAs in other nations to address shared conservation
issues.
What is
the National System Framework and What Does it Do?
The revised draft framework provides comprehensive national goals and
flexible guidance for a variety of partnership efforts among federal,
state, tribal, and local governments and stakeholders to develop
an effective national system. It proposes guidance for how existing
MPA sites, programs, and stakeholders can work together to better
share information and coordinate their MPA management efforts,
develop the necessary scientific information to make more informed
management decisions, and improve the stewardship and effectiveness
of existing MPAs.
The first draft
framework was released for a 145-day public comment period from September 2006 through March 2007. The revised draft framework was available for public comment from March 17, 2008 until 11:59 p.m. EDT, April 16, 2008.
What is different between the first draft framework and the revised draft framework?
Learn more about MPA
Science and Analysis to support the National System.
Read more about the West
Coast Pilot, which is testing development of a regional system of MPAs.
Links
MPA
Executive Order 13158
Draft
Framework for Developing the National System of MPAs
Draft
National System Framework Page
Definition
of Marine Protected Areas
West
Coast Pilot Page
Marine
Protected Areas Inventory
Fact
Sheets
Frequently
Asked Questions about MPAs
Archive:
More about Developing the National System of MPAs
For More Information
If you would like more information about the MPA Center's efforts
to develop the national system of MPAs, please write to mpa.comments@noaa.gov.
|
