NOAA Next Generation Strategic Plan
The Draft NOAA Next Generation Strategic Plan is available for comment through August 10. The plan is highly relevant to the future of coastal and reserve management, so the National Estuarine Research Reserve System—including the Wells Reserve—will play a key role in addressing NOAA's long-term goals.
The plan includes a strong focus on coastal issues. The NOAA vision is for healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of change. There are four goals written around following areas:
- climate adaptation and mitigation
- weather ready nation
- healthy oceans
- resilient coastal communities and economies.
The work of the Wells Reserve largely falls under the fourth goal, but our efforts will also be important in addressing the climate goal. The Reserve system will likely be associated organizationally with objectives under the coastal goal and potentially one or more objectives under the oceans goal.
NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco highlights the importance of coastal issues in her introductory letter, where she states:
Our oceans and coasts are becoming crowded with increasing, competing demands for energy, aquaculture, fishing, shipping and recreational activities. In particular, our coastal areas—where more than half of Americans call home—are the frontlines where often seemingly conflicting goals related to resources, people, and our economy are expressed. We recognize that our success will depend on integrating actions that promote both the environmental and economic sustainability of our coastal communities. This is a major new focus of the Next Generation Strategic Plan.
