Submitted to NOAA March 2013

2013-2018Program Strategy

Submitted to NOAA March 2013

Coastal Training Program

2013-2018Program Strategy

Introduction

This document updates the strategic plan of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s (GNDNERR) Coastal Training Program (CTP). Grand Bay’s CTP Program Strategy continues to reflect local needs and priorities identified through assessments of, and interactions with, decision-makers working in the coastal region of Mississippi and guidance from GNDNERR Coastal Training Program partners. The future vision of the program has been refined to reflect lessons learned and build upon program successes since its establishment in 2004. It is designed to be guided by adaptive management principles and informed by regular market analyses and needs assessments (formal and informal) that allow for nimble reaction to emerging decision-maker needs and changing coastal conditions.

Program Context

Theprimary market for the Grand Bay CTP includes decision-makers working in Mississippi’s six southern-most counties. Three of these counties are located directly along the 75-mile stretchof Mississippi’s coastline and the additional three lie directly to the north. Mississippi’s central location along the northern Gulf coast has produced a secondary market for the Grand Bay CTP of coastal decision-makers living and working in coastal Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.

The primary goal of Grand Bay’s CTP is to foster informed decision-making and resource management by transferring relevant science-based information, tools, and skills to targeted audiences whose actions influence the viability of Mississippi’s coastal resources. Since 2004, over 4,000 coastal decision-makers and resource managers (representing city, county, state and federal governments and agencies, non-governmental organizations, private industry, academia, and community groups) have attended CTP trainings and events. Topics have included stormwater management, grant writing, wetland plant and soil identification, coastal community resilience, geographic information systems with a coastal focus, and sustainable development.

A regional partnership with the other four Gulf of Mexico NERRs through the Gulf of Mexico Alliance has been instrumental to addressing common coastal issues in a consistent manner across the Gulf on topics includingliving shorelines, climate change, community resilience, and science communication.

Ecological and Social Context

Comprised of approximately 18,000 acres, the boundaries of the Reserve are found chiefly within the Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Grand Bay Savanna Coastal Preserve. Diverse wetland habitats are found within the Reserve and include both tidal and non-tidal areas such as pine savannas, salt marshes, saltpans, bays, and bayous as well as terrestrial habitats that are unique to the coastal zone such as maritime forests.

Healthy estuarine salt marshes and fire-maintained pine savannas are some of the most productive and biodiverse habitats in North America. The Reserve is fortunate enough to contain considerable amounts of both of these types of habitats which support many important species of fish and wildlife. Commercially and recreationally important species of finfish and shellfish such as brown shrimp, speckled trout, and oysters are foundin the salt marshes. Many species of carnivorous plants and orchids can be found in the savanna habitats. Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphin and, on occasion, manatees can be found in the deeper waters of the Reserve.

Residents of coastal Mississippi rely on the natural environment for the positive economic and social benefits it provides. Mississippi’s nutrient rich coastal waters support strong shrimping and fishing industries and the white-sand beaches attract tourists and seasonal residents from across the United States. As such, a growth industry in environmental management has developed along Mississippi’s coast supporting ecotourism and fisheries operations.

The benefits the Gulf of Mexico provides do not come without risks, and coastal residentshave dealt with both natural and technological disasters in recent years. Storms such as Camille (1969) and Katrina (2005) are infamous examples of the devastation Gulf waters can inflict on Mississippi’s coastal residents. Oil rich coastal areas dotted with drilling platforms boost the local economy by providing jobs, while at the same time their presence means there is a risk of events like that of the BP Oil spill (2010) occurring.

Economic recovery post-Katrina has been slow. Destruction of homes and businesses by the hurricane and storm surge forced many coastal residents to move inland or to other states to find work. Coastal areas are being re-built, but there are long stretches of property along the coast where houses and businesses once stood that still remain empty. Changes to building codes and local ordinances post-Katrina, coupled with an increased awareness within the local citizenry of the importance for resilient coastal development practices, provide a unique opportunity for the Grand Bay CTP to develop partnerships with and provide coastal resilience trainings to decision-makers within coastal communities.

A challenge Mississippi’s low-lying coastal communities continue to face is in the adaptation of existing critical infrastructure, such as stormwater management systems, to the slowly rising sea levels. Increasingly tidal waters are flowing up storm drains, impacting their ability to function during regular storm events and causing localized flooding. Recognition of the need to be prepared is slowly emerging among coastal decision-makers. In 2011 Mississippi’s Department of Marine Resources (GNDNERR’s state agency partner)commissioned a report entitled “Assessment of Sea Level Rise in Coastal Mississippi” (

Natural disasters are not the only source of risk to our environment and coastal communities as the BP oil spill in April 2010 proved. The impact of the oil spill on the local tourism and fisheries industriesis still being evaluated, but the social implications were serious leaving many distraught over the potential outcomes. With the high number of oil wells located along the northern Gulf Coast, in addition to oil refineries, power plants, and other chemical plants,other man-made incidents are likely to occur.

As a source of professional training, and a platform for delivery of locally relevant science to coastal resource managers and decision-makers, the Grand Bay NERR’sCTPcontinues to play an important role along Mississippi’s Gulf coast, and through adaptive program management, will remain relevant long into the future.

Current and Anticipated Partnerships

Building and maintaining partnerships is critical to the success of Grand Bay’s CTP. Partners play a variety of roles in the development, planning, and implementation of CTP events including providing funds, speakers, venues, and logistical support.Many of the CTP partners are included on the Advisory Committee (Appendix A) and provide insight into the direction of the Program as well as what trainings and workshops their stakeholders may need.

The GNDNERR CTP has worked with other NERRs to utilize technical assistance and apply for various funding opportunities. Through these partnerships, Gulf of Mexico CTP—the Weeks Bay, Apalachicola, Mission-Aransas, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves—have worked together to obtain funding and offer regional programming. Most recently, the Coordinators of these CTP received funding from Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant for a “Gulf of Mexico Coastal Training Program Initiative for Resilient Communities”. This funding is currently being used to assist communities in the Gulf of Mexico to increase their awareness of the threat posed by coastal storms and to improve their preparedness, ability to weather, and capability to respond to these events.Over the next five years, the Gulf of Mexico NERR CTPs will continue to partner with one another to pool resources and expertise and provide effective and relevant programming.

Grand Bay CTP also works with other groups within NOAA and other partners includingthe Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Weeks Bay NERR, Weeks Bay Foundation, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, NOAA Gulf Coast Services Center, NOAA Coastal Storms Program, Mississippi-Alabama SeaGrant, Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center, Gulf of Mexico Allianceand Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Program.

Currently the Grand Bay’s CTP is anticipating future partnership opportunities to develop with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Mississippi Coastal Program, Department of Interior National Conservation Training Center, NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center, Gulf Coast Climate Community of Practice,and other local, regional, and national agencies and organizations.

Contribution to Vision, Mission and Goals of Grand Bay NERR

According to the Grand Bay NERR 2013 Management Plan, the vision of the Grand Bay NERR is that “Coastal ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico will be conserved and valued” with a mission to: “practice and promote informed stewardship of Grand Bay NERR and Mississippi coastal resources through innovative research, education, and training.”(Grand Bay NERR 2013)

Grand Bay’s CTP will help move the Reserve’s mission forward by aligning the Program to the Reserve’s long-term programmatic outcome goals, as defined in Section XIV of the Grand Bay NERR 2013 Management Plan:

Goal 1: Enhance Grand Bay NERR’s role as a distinguished center for estuarine research, sound conservation and resource management.

Goal 2: Scientific understanding and knowledge informs the management of coastal resources and ecosystems.

Goal 3: Local communities appreciate and value the significance of coastal ecosystems.

Goal 4: Local communities will make improved science-based decisions regarding management of coastal resources and watersheds.

In keeping with the Reserve’s vision and mission, Grand Bay’s CTP strives to provide science-based information to decision-makers within local communities, which increases understanding of coastal management issues. CTP staff will work closely with the Reserve’s Research, Stewardship, and Education sectors to develop trainings and workshops that are timely and relevant to the Program. In the past, the various sectors of the Grand Bay NERR have partnered to offer trainings to coastal communities. All Coordinators are often recruited to provide presentations during workshops that offer a “local” view on the topic at hand. Teaming up with the Education Coordinator, CTP has offered numerous science seminars andcommunications trainings, and would often recruit experts that would speak to both decision-makers and community members in order to provide a workshop for the Education and CTP sectors. CTP has also teamed up with the Stewardship and Research Coordinators to offerGeographic Information Systems workshops, host the Research Symposium, and obtain funding to create a Disaster Response Plan for the Reserve. Whenever possible, CTP trainings will also incorporate the ecosystems of the Reserve, research projects and results taking place at the Reserve, and projects that Reserve staff are working on. The partnership and close communication among all sectors will continue as it benefits and ensures the success of all sectors.

Grand Bay CTP Five Year Vision

Aligned with the 2013 Grand Bay NERR Management Plan, theCTP“fosters informed decision-making and resource managementacross the coastal landscape by enhancing the decision-making abilities of professional audienceswhose actions influence the management of natural resources along the north-central Gulf Coast”. The main goals of GNDNERR CTP are:

Goal 1. Decision-makers will recognize CTP as a reliable source of information and skill-building opportunities.

Goal 2. Decision-makers will recognize that their actions and decisions impact Mississippi’s coastal resources.

Goal 3. Decision-makers will utilize CTP products and services to make decisions about challenging coastal management issues.

Goal 4. Decision-makers will increase the diversity of professional contacts and opportunities for collaboration through participation in CTP activities.

The overarching Grand Bay CTP vision is given in the Program’s logic model (Appendix B). Itprovides a simple graphic representation of the goals that drive the program’s activities towards the intended short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes. Over the next five years the Grand Bay CTP will work in a variety of ways to achieve the program’s goal of fostering informed decision-making and resource management by transferring relevant science-based information, tools, and skill-building opportunities to targeted audiences whose actions influence the viability of Mississippi’s coastal resources through tasks aimed at meeting the four program objectives.

Objective 1. The CTP staff will assist local communities by providing at least eight timely and relevant trainings each year that meet the scientific and skill needs of local decision-makers, resource managers, local communities, and the public.

Actions:

• Offer training opportunities that meet the needs of local audiences, fulfill the goals and focus area priorities of the GNDNERR 2013 Management Plan, and highlight the Reserve’s habitats, monitoring programs, and projects.
• Provide at least three workshops and/or training events each year that feature local coastal environmental systems science and research for coastal decision makers, particularly the unique habitats around the Reserve.
• Provide at least three trainings each year that focus on sustainable coastal development practices, including case studies and lessons learned whenever possible for coastal decision makers.
• Facilitate a bi-annual Grand Bay Research Symposium highlighting Grand Bay research and monitoring efforts with researchers, coastal resource managers and the public.

• Provide advisory services and assist coastal communities so they can better address local resource management issues.

Objective 2: The CTP staff will evaluate trainings to ensure that 75% of local decision-makers have demonstrated an increased understanding and are using the information to better manage and integrate new skills, knowledge, and perspectives into their work.

Actions:

• Utilize the feedback from Needs Assessments, post-event evaluations, and mid-term follow-up surveys on a continuous basis to identify program successes, lessons learned, and new opportunities for advanced information and skill-based training.

Objective 3. The CTP staff will effectively communicate to keep local audiences and partners up-to-date about the Grand Bay NERR and reach out to new audiences in order to increase the number of new participants attending CTP workshops by 10% each year.

Actions:

• Distribute and present the results of Grand Bay NERR-related training and Reserve research, stewardship, and education projects to applicable resource management audiences and decision-makersat various meetings.
• Maintain the GNDNERR Web site so that viewers are aware of upcoming CTP events and also have access to information about the Reserve.
• Contribute at least one peer-reviewed education/ training project for publication over five years and contribute to reports and articles on training project/ techniques for publication on an annual basis.
• Present at local government meetings and to professional organizations relating to CTP activities and Reserve.
• Inform the public of activities through the MDMR and Grand Bay NERR newsletters.

Objective 4. The CTP staff will increase partnerships by 10% each year in order to recruit experts to provide technical assistance when organizing workshops and events and to recruit new individuals from local audiences to attend training sessions.

Actions:

• Serve on at least two relevant technical advisory committees, panels, or boards and seek out expert trainers, researchers, and partners to provide technical assistance when organizing workshops and events.
• Develop an agenda for each training session that encourages and facilitates networking between attendees.
• Offer at least two training events each year that are targeted at diverse audiences to encourage networking opportunities.
• Seek partners to co-sponsor workshops by providing meeting space, access to expert speakers, meeting facilitation, or lodging for participants.

Priority Audiences

The Grand Bay CTP’s primary priority audiences are local officials and staff, naturalresource managers, and coastal scientists who work in coastal Mississippi.For the purposes of this document local officials and staff are considered to be individualsthat serve in elected, appointed, or administrative capacity at the town, municipal, county, state or federal level. Natural resource managers are those individuals who are tasked with the conservation, restoration, and management of natural areas and are responsible for the plant and animal species found within those areas. Coastal scientists are considered to be those individuals who conduct scientific research within coastal areas in disciplines including but not limited to: geography, geology, archeology, marine biology, ecology, botany, ornithology, entomology, hydrology, and climatology.