[Coral-List] 82 Corals Status Review under the US Endangered Species Act

[Dave Vaughan]

Regretfully so, but, "a government for the people and by the people" 
that allows for all public input and all user group to provide comment, 
is a process that is not as fast as a dictatorship. I wish it were 
faster, but I accept the process timeline that is inclusive to all.
Dave Vaughan
FKNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council member (research and monitoring)


On 6/1/2012 4:35 PM, Curtis Kruer wrote:
> ".....very involved, open, and public process culminating in the
> implementation of any regulatory modifications, additions, or eliminations
> in 2015."
>
> Dave - is this correct?  No changes will be made to the FKNMS Management
> Plan until 2015?, 3 years from now?
>
> Curtis Kruer
> Coastal Resources Group
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Dave Vaughan
> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2012 12:02 PM
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] 82 Corals Status Review under the US Endangered
> Species Act
>
> The following are some correct dates and information from the previous
> comments:
>
> *Correct Dates:*
> (see links at: http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/history.html)
> "Warning signs about the fragile and finite nature of marine resources in
> the Florida Keys were present long before Florida Keys National Marine
> Sanctuary was established. In 1960, to address the demise of coral reefs in
> the Keys, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was established off Key Largo
> as the world's first underwater park.
> Continued environmental degradation prompted the eventual designation of Key
> Largo National Marine Sanctuary in 1975 and Looe Key National Marine
> Sanctuary in 1981.
>
> Throughout the 1980s, oil drilling proposals, reports of deteriorating water
> quality, and evidence of declines in the health of the coral reef ecosystem
> continued to mount. These threats, combined with several large vessel
> groundings, prompted Congress to act. On November 16, 1990, President George
> H. Bush signed into law the bill establishing Florida Keys National Marine
> Sanctuary. This new sanctuary incorporated the preexisting Key Largo and
> Looe Key sanctuaries to protect 2,800 square nautical miles of Florida Keys
> waters."
>
> With the designation of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, several
> protective measures were immediately put into place, such as prohibiting oil
> exploration, mining, or any type of activity that would alter the seafloor
> and restricting large shipping traffic. Also, anchoring on, touching, and
> collecting coral were all restricted within sanctuary waters.
>
> *First Managment Plan*
> The passage of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act
> <http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/about/fknmsp_act.html>  in 1990 also called for
> the development of a comprehensive management plan. A set of public scoping
> meetings, followed by a series of workshops, collected input from federal,
> state, and local interests holding knowledge of sanctuary problems. These
> meetings, workshops, and extensive public input laid the foundation for the
> sanctuary management plan
> <http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/mgmtplans/welcome.html>  that was ultimately
> implemented in July 1997.
>
> *Your Chance to INPUT *
> (You can give your input, concerns and suggestions at:
> http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/review/process.html)
>
> The review<http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/review/welcome.html>  of the marine
> zone boundaries and regulations of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
> will be a very involved, open, and public process culminating in the
> implementation of any regulatory modifications, additions, or eliminations
> in 2015.
>
> The process will involve proactively reaching out to members of the
> community to gather input
> <http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/review/public-input.html>, weighing collected
> information against the best available science, and developing
> recommendations that will allow the sanctuary to meet the goals and
> objectives<http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/review/goals.html>  of the review.
>
>   From there, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council
> <http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/sac/welcome.html>  will develop recommendations
> for NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to consider, and staff will assess
> the environmental impacts of any modifications or additions to sanctuary
> regulations. Finally, any changes to marine zone regulations or boundaries
> will be adopted and implemented.
>
> This is your chance to make suggestions and improvements!
>
> Dave Vaughan
> (Be part of the solutions, not just the complaints)
>
>
>
>
>
> On 6/1/2012 10:44 AM, Phil Dustan wrote:
>    
>> Coral Listers,
>>    And the really sad thing is since the NOAA Sanctuaries were
>> instituted in the Florida Keys (1975 for Key Largo, 1981 for Looe Key,
>> and 1990 for FKNMS, 2000 for Dry Tortugas) the reefs have lost over
>> 92% of their living coral cover.  The reefs have all but lost their
>> ecological integrity and now NOAA wants to mandate corals as
>> endangered. But we still allow recreational and commercial fishing
>> throughout the vast majority of the area and even permit folks to
>>      
> spearfish using SCUBA.
>    
>> Go figure.........
>>       Phil
>>
>> On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 8:21 PM, Christopher
>>      
> Hawkins<chwkins at yahoo.com>wrote:
>    
>>
>>      
>>> Hello Gene (and all):
>>>
>>> I share some of the frustrations. With regard to your question:
>>>
>>> "And  finally, why is National Marine Fisheries involved with coral
>>> protection, especially within NOAA Marine Sanctuaries where all
>>> corals are already protected?"
>>>
>>> The petition to list the 82 coral coral species was brought via the U.S.
>>> Endangered Species Act. The legislation directs that the U.S. Fish
>>> and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service are
>>> the two entities tasked with evaluating a species-listing petition
>>> and recommending action/no action. NMFS handles almost all marine
>>> species petitions (there are a few exceptions).
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Chris
>>>
>>>        
>
>
>