Wetland and Coastal Habitat Conservation and Restoration Long-term Alliance Partnership Goal Increase coordination among the Gulf States and local, federal, business, and non-profit partners to better conserve and restore coastal wetlands and other vital habitats throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Priority Issue Team Leads James Pahl LCA Science & Technology Office Phone: (225) Greg DuCote Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Phone: (225) Federal Co-facilitators Drew Puffer EPA – Gulf of Mexico Program Phone: (228) epa.gov Kris Benson NOAA Restoration Center Phone: (409) kristopher. epa.govkristopher. PIT CHANGES with Action Plan II

LONG-TERM HABITAT CONSERVATION & RESTORATION GOALS: Ensure that the Alliance includes a diverse group of stakeholders from federal and State agencies, business and industry, and non-profit organizations Revise policies that impede effective and efficient habitat conservation and restoration Promote new science and technology methods that provide science-based management tools to resource managers for incorporation into restoration and implementation. Forge close cooperation with counterparts from Mexico

PRIORITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE NATURAL COMMUNITIES Habitat, Conservation & Restoration Priority #1: Expanded Partnerships Action: to identify and engage non-participating relevant stakeholders with interest in the health and sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico. Action Steps: 1.Identify habitat conservation and restoration goals and define, and address, limitations of critical stakeholder participation. 2. Promote public-private partnerships to support habitat conservation and restoration efforts.

Habitat, Conservation & Restoration Priority #2: Policy Changes Action: Address specific bureaucratic policy issues impeding habitat conservation and restoration. Action Steps: 1.Conduct topical working sessions to address funding, policy, permitting, and regulatory issues that limit conservation efforts, including revising the Federal Standard to consider the conservation and restoration of the environment as an economic benefit of the project and/or degradation of the environment as a project cost. 2.Promote changes to funding, policy, permitting, and regulatory processes to improve on-the-ground conservation efforts, including increasing coordination among Gulf-relevant federal funding programs and identifying policy and economic limitations that limit private landowner participation in conservation and restoration on private lands.

Habitat, Conservation & Restoration Priority #3: Technology Development Action: Identify specific scientific and technical issues impeding restoration efforts. Action Steps: 1.Conduct topical working sessions on recognized uncertainties that limit the state of conservation science and the development of science-based management tools. 2.Work with Alliance management to promote science and technical solutions to improve on-the-ground restoration efforts.

Habitat, Conservation & Restoration Priority #4: Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan Action: Continue to develop, facilitate, and assess the implementation of the Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP), providing for more effective use of dredged material and other sediment resources. Action Steps: 1.Finalize the GRSMMP and its adoption and the implementation of the practices contained therein by all relevant private and public stakeholders throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including ports and transportation authorities. 2.Identify remaining gaps in RSM coverage in the USACE districts and states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as impediments to implementing RSM. 3.Provide technical staff to the HCRT topical working session tasked with redefining the Federal Standard to incorporate environmental benefits and Coastal Zone Management Act enforceable policies.

Habitat, Conservation & Restoration Priority #5: International Partnerships Action: Continue to coordinate specific issues with international partners, primarily with representatives from the Mexican states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Action Steps: 1. Facilitate the direct and/or remote attendance of American staff and Mexican partners at U.S. and Mexican Alliance meetings. 2. Develop a list of Mexican state-specific and overall management and technical issues that can be integrated into Alliance habitat conservation and restoration programming. 3. Begin discussions with Mexican federal and State governments to identify appropriate level and capacity of Mexican participation in the expansion of the GRSMMP to a Gulf-wide scale.

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