NOAA 2004-R120 |
NOAA
News Releases 2004 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced awards totaling $408,363 for four local organizations in the southeastern United States to facilitate restoration of coastal and marine habitat critical to fishery resources. The projects are funded by the Community-based Restoration Program within the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries). NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The awards were made on a competitive basis through NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) and will support projects in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. Staff from the NOAA Restoration Center and NOAA Fisheries southeast region work closely with awardees to implement projects with community volunteers. Projects involve community members in hands-on activities from initial implementation to monitoring and maintenance, all of which promote stewardship and a heightened appreciation for living marine resources. “NOAA and the Bush Administration are committed to working with regional authorities to improve our understanding of the environment. This grant helps to restore coastal and marine habitats critical to fishery resources,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “It builds awareness, appreciation, knowledge and an understanding of the NOAA Restoration Center’s Community-based Restoration Program.” “Protecting and restoring essential fish habitat is critical to our efforts to manage the nation’s fisheries,” said Roy Crabtree, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region administrator. “Estuary restoration is a national priority and we join with our federal, state and local partners to make this project a reality.” The
following projects were awarded habitat restoration funds:
North Carolina
South Carolina
NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program has been helping community organizations develop and implement habitat restoration projects of local priority since 1996. The NOAA-funded projects provide strong on-the-ground habitat restoration components that offer educational and social benefits for people and their communities, in addition to long-term ecological benefits for fishery resources. More than 150 projects in the southeast region have been implemented using NOAA funding to leverage state and local contributions. Community involvement, a key component of the program, enhances stewardship that will be critical to improving future conservation practices. NOAA Restoration Center personnel are available for advice and direction in project development and implementation. NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation’s living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. On
the Web: NOAA
Community-based Restoration Program: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration |