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This page provides background and information on the Coral Reef conservation Program (CRCP) Roadmap for the Future.
New Guiding Principles of the CRCP
In 2007, the CRCP underwent an external review by a panel of recognized experts in coral reef resource science and management to provide an independent assessment of the CRCP's effectiveness in meeting its goals and to suggest recommendations for future improvement. After the review, there was a need to translate the recommendations of the panel into tangible guidelines and activities to steer the CRCP towards the changes recommended. In response to the panel’s report, the CRCP developed a Roadmap for the Future (pdf, 247 kb), laying out new principles and priorities for the future of the Program. The Roadmap was developed by representatives from the CRCP but extensive input from NOAA and external partners was also factored into the final document.
This document builds upon the foundations established in the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs (2000), the National Coral Reef Action Strategy (2002), and the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Plan, as well as information stemming from triennial reports on The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States. The purpose of this roadmap is to lead the CRCP toward a more focused set of priorities than those set forth in previous guiding documents, as recommended by the external review.
The Roadmap is intended to set the CRCPís future direction for FY 2010-2015 and define a process to align operations with newly articulated principles and priorities. The document lays out the following components:
The discussion of each component of this roadmap is intentionally brief. New inclusive working groups have been formed to develop detailed implementation plans, and feedback will be sought in the development of these plans. It should be recognized that completion of this transformation will likely take several years. However, refocusing the program will entail some changes in the allocation of CRCP resources. This roadmap outlines the near-term actions that will be taken to begin informing funding for FY 2009 and steer funding for FY 2010-2015.
New Guiding Principles of the CRCP
The CRCP sets forth the following seven key principles to serve as guidelines for decision-making regarding the program's future activities. The principles represent the basic tenets that underlie the program and reflect how the CRCP will operate. They will guide working groups in the development of implementation plans for changes proposed in this roadmap and they will be used to guide funding decisions.
The primary objective of the CRCP is to address strategic coral reef management needs in a targeted, cost-effective and efficient manner. To make the most of limited resources and to have the largest impact to reverse the general decline in coral reef health that has occurred over the past several decades, the CRCP will narrow the focus of its national program and shift allocation of CRCP resources to taking on-the-ground and in-the-water action. The CRCP will focus efforts on understanding and addressing the following three key priority threats:
Three working groups have been established to provide recommendations on the strategic goals and objectives the Program should work towards in the next 5-20 years in order to effectively address each of these top three threats. Follow their progress on the Threat-based Working Groups page.
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