Initiatives | Local Action Strategies

Coral Reef Local Action Strategies

Local Action Strategies (LAS) are a U.S. Coral Reef Task Force led initiative to identify and implement priority actions needed to reduce key threats to valuable coral reef resources in each U.S. coral reef jurisdiction. In 2002, the Task Force adopted the “Puerto Rico Resolution” which calls for the development of three-year LAS by each of the seven U.S. jurisdictions containing coral reefs: Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. These LAS are locally-driven roadmaps for collaborative and cooperative action among federal, state, territory, and non-governmental partners.

High ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching

NOAA works with staff from the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and the Center for Watershed Protection to improve management of land-based sources of pollution, such as addressing runoff discharge issues.

Elkhorn coral populations have suffered widespread declines from white-band disease.

The goals and objectives of the LAS are linked to those found in the U.S. National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reef, adopted by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force in 2000. From the thirteen goals identified in the National Action Plan, the Task Force prioritized six areas for immediate local action: over-fishing, land-based sources of pollution, recreational overuse and misuse, lack of public awareness, climate change and coral bleaching, and disease. Applying a collaborative decision-making process based on local needs, concerns and capacities, each of the seven U.S. coral reef jurisdictions developed LAS that contain a variety of projects designed for implementation over a three-year period (roughly FY2004-2006). A jurisdiction’s strategies may address some or all of the six focus areas as well as additional locally relevant threats.

A series of fact sheets were produced to provide an overview of the strategy development process and to highlight the goals, objectives, and project examples for each of the seven jurisdictions.

The LAS initiative is in different stages with diverse approaches within each jurisdiction; sometimes with multiple LAS on different timelines. Implementation of LAS projects began in 2003-2004 and NOAA and the Task Force are currently working with each jurisdiction to complete implementation of their first round of LAS. Several jurisdictions are now completing the core elements of their initial LAS and are beginning to examine how best to revise their LAS to more effectively achieve coral reef management objectives in the future. 

A report entitled, “Status of Local Action Strategies to Conserve and Protect Coral Reefs: 2002-2006” identifies the major accomplishments of the LAS effort and is expected to be published by December 2007.

For additional information, contact Dana Wusinich-Mendez or Bill Millhouser.

 

 

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