FY 2001 Budget Includes Request for Coral Reefs

[Roger B Griffis]

TO:    Coral List
RE:    Requests for information on President's FY 2001 Budget for Coral
Reefs

In response to many requests, below is a brief summary of coral reef
funding requested in the President's FY 2001 Budget request to the
United States Congress.

SUMMARY OF FY2000 FUNDING:
In FY2000 the President requested a total of $17 M for coral reef
activities ($12 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and $5 million for the Dept of the Interior), the
first funding ever requested in the federal budget specifically for
coral reef activities.  In FY 2000, Congress appropriated an historic
$10.5 million of the requested amounts ($6 million for NOAA, $4.5
million DOI).

FY 2001 CORAL REEF FUNDING:
In FY 2001, the President's budget includes a total of $26 million
specifically for coral reef activities ($16 million for NOAA and $10
million for DOInterior).  The FY2001 coral reef funding request to
Congress is described below.

CORAL REEF INITIATIVES
FY 2001 President’s Budget - $26 million

$ 16 million - Department of Commerce (NOAA)
$ 10 million - Department of the Interior

The President’s Fiscal Year 2001 budget request to Congress includes a
total of $ 26 million – an increase of $ 15.5 million over FY 2000
appropriations – specifically to implement recommendations of the United
States Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF) and halt the rapid loss and
degradation of coral reef ecosystems.  If appropriated, this
unprecedented funding would significantly strengthen federal, state,
territory and non-governmental efforts to protect, restore and
sustainably use valuable U.S. coral reefs.

The FY 2001 President’s budget includes new funding requests of $ 10
million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
and $ 5.5 million for the Department of the Interior (DOI).  Funding
will support critical needs and priority actions identified by the CRTF
in the U.S. National Action Plan for Coral Reef Conservation including:

- reducing human threats from overfishing, pollution, vessel groundings
and other impacts;
- increasing mapping and monitoring of coral reef;
- researching the causes of and solutions to coral reef decline;
- strengthening existing coral reef protected areas and establishing new
reef reserves;
- funding state and territory coral reef initiatives for on-the-ground,
local action; and
- restoring damaged reefs.

CORAL REEF INITIATIVES - FY 2001 BUDGET REQUEST

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (NOAA)
National Ocean Service
   Ocean Resource Conservation & Assessment  $ 10.0
National Marine Fisheries Service
   Conservation and Management Operations     $  6.0
TOTAL NOAA     $ 16.0

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service    $  2.7
National Park Service    $  3.6
U.S. Geological Survey    $  3.2
Office of Insular Affairs    $  0.5
TOTAL DOI     $ 10.0
TOTAL FY 2001 CORAL REQUEST     $ 26

FY 2001 FUNDING IS CRITICAL TO CORAL REEF CONSERVATION:

The FY 2001 request of $ 26 million is critical to addressing the most
serious threats to U.S. and other coral reefs.  This funding will
implement priority actions recommended by the CRTF in the Atlantic,
Caribbean and Pacific as part of the National Action Plan for Coral Reef
Conservation.  Funding will support joint efforts between NOAA,
Department of the Interior and federal, state, territory, commonwealth
and non-governmental partners to protect coral reefs.  For example:

Map and Monitor Coral Reef Ecosystems

- The FY 2001 request will increase the pace of coral reef mapping and
improve monitoring of coral reef health in many areas.  Less than 5
percent of all US coral reefs have been adequately mapped or monitored.
In FY 2000, NOAA and federal, state partners launched initial coral reef
mapping efforts in the U.S. Pacific and began building a national
monitoring program for U.S. coral reefs.

Find Solutions to Reef Decline

- The FY 2001 request will increase research and monitoring to identify
the causes - and cures - for coral reef diseases and other human
impacts.  Funding will support competitive grants and partnerships to
better study, understand and protect U.S. coral reefs.  Research is
needed to understanding the causes of reef decline and find the
solutions to improve reef health.  For example, research is urgently
needed to determine the causes of disease “epidemics” now damaging many
reefs.

Reduce Human Impacts on Reefs

- The FY 2001 request will provide additional funding to States and
Territories to help them reduce the impacts of run-off pollution,
fishing and other threats to coral reefs.  Over one-third of all U.S.
coral reefs are in state and territory waters.  These reefs are often
the hardest hit by human impacts.
- New funding will improve and expand coral reef protected areas.
Funding will improve public education and basic monitoring in existing
protected areas (e.g., National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges,
National Marine Sanctuaries) and help fishery management councils, local
communities and other partners establish new coral reef protected areas
such as ecological reserves.
- New funding will be used to reduce the impacts of over-fishing and
fishing gear on coral reefs.  Funding will support actions by Fisheries
Management Councils, fishing industry and other partners to help protect
and sustainably manage coral reefs as essential fish habitats.

 Response and Restoration

- In FY 2001, new funding will help restore fragile coral reefs damaged
by human impacts.  Working with state, territory and other partners, new
funding continue to build emergency response capabilities to minimize
damages from chemical spills, vessel groundings and other events;
provide funding and training to restore damaged reefs and promote
natural recovery of reef ecosystems; and fund major reef clean-up
efforts to remove thousands of tons of harmful debris from reefs of the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

For more information:  Visit the CRTF web site at http://coralreef.gov/
or contact:

Roger Griffis Dept of Commerce/NOAA
P: 202-482-5034 roger.b.griffis at noaa.gov
Molly Ross Dept of the Interior
P: 202-208-6212 molly_ross at ios.doi.gov

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