A View from the Gulf Coast: How Does All This Stuff Add Up?

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Elaine Holt
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1 A View from the Gulf Coast: How Does All This Stuff Add Up? John Tirpak, PhD Science Coordinator, USFWS Gulf Restoration Program Lafayette, LA January 21, 2016 Mississippi River Basin/Gulf Hypoxia Initiative Webinar Series

2 Objective Provide a quick overview of some of what s happening on the Gulf and where the MRB/GH Initiative fits Much less time on what we re doing and more time on the way that we re doing it

3 Resource Connections - Watersheds

4 Resource Connections - Flyways

5 Resource Connections Projects & $$

12 Context of the Gulf Unprecedented dollars for restoration are coming to the Gulf of Mexico Widespread concern that the response will be inefficient and uncoordinated

13 Inefficient Explicit objectives provide definitive direction How much? How much more? Where? Why?

14 Uncoordinated Gulf-wide perspective = coordinated response

15 Meetings

16 Projects Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment Biological Objectives Gulf-wide Bird Monitoring Network Coastal Resilience Strategic Conservation Assessment Landscape Conservation Design SLAMM Marsh Migration

17 Projects and Products Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment Biological Objectives Gulf-wide Bird Monitoring Network Coastal Resilience Strategic Conservation Assessment Landscape Conservation Design SLAMM Marsh Migration

18 What does all this add up to?

19 Strategic Habitat Conservation An adaptive management framework integrating planning, design, delivery and evaluation

21 Biological Objectives for the Gulf

25 Objective = ac Current = ac Deficit = ac

26 PRESENT Ecological Assessments State of the South Atlantic Oyster Reef Mapping Connectivity

27 FUTURE Ecological Flows Mangrove Distribution Urbanization Sea-level Rise

28 Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment Incorporating Future Change into Current Conservation Planning Who? What? How habitats and species may respond to climate, SLR, and landuse changes Beaches Oysters Mangroves Marsh Where? How? Teams of experts used compiled data and their experience to complete an index spreadsheet tool (SIVVA) When? Final report completed November 2015

29 Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment Tidal Emergent Marsh Mottled Duck Spotted Seatrout Clapper Rail Blue Crab

30 Central Texas Case Study 30

31 Current Sea Level

32 0.5 m SLR by 2100

33 1 m SLR by

34 1.2 m SLR by

35 1.5 m SLR by

36 2 m SLR by

37 Landward Marsh Migration

38 RESTORE Council The 11-member RESTORE Council is comprised of: Five affected Gulf States, each with one vote Alabama Florida Louisiana Mississippi Texas Six federal agencies, collectively with one vote Department of Commerce (Chair) Department of Agriculture Department of the Army Environmental Protection Agency Department of Homeland Security Department of the Interior

39 RESTORE Act

47 Strategic Conservation Assessment Objective: To provide the framework and the information for the Council to prioritize voluntary land conservation activities across the Gulf Conservation design for acquisition and easements Deliverables: Suite of Decision Support Tools Year 1: Tabluar output to rank existing projects Year 2: Spatial output to identify projects Year 3: Advanced modeling for optimization

48 Hypoxia Resilience

49 Integrate Multiple Objectives: Hypoxia Excess nutrients = Gulf of Mexico dead zone

50 Integrate Multiple Objectives: Hypoxia Actions identified to address this issue

51 Integrate Multiple Objectives: Hypoxia Initiatives to implement these actions in place

52 Integrate Multiple Objectives: Hypoxia Numerous partners and initiatives

53 Integrate Multiple Objectives: Hypoxia How can we target wildlife actions to also benefit water quality and agriculture?

55 Dollars for Delivery ~$25 B potentially available for Gulf restoration NFWF, NRDA, RESTORE, NAWCA, among others

56 Land Conservation Investments Powderhorn Ranch NFWF GEBF and others $37.7 M 17,000+ ac

60 Gulf-wide Bird Monitoring Network

61 Federal Agencies USFWS USGS USPS USFS NRCS BLM BOEM BSEE NOAA State Agencies FWC ALDNR MDWFP LDWF TXPW MS-DEQ Non-Governmental Audubon TNC DU Ocean Conservancy GCBO BRI Smithsonian Partnerships GCJV LMVJV EGCPJV ACJV SA-LCC PF-LCC GCPO-LCC GOMA GOMRI Universities UF UGA MSU NC State LSU Univ. W. FL Gulf of Mexico Bird Monitoring Network Coordination Committee Marshbirds Working Group Landbird Working Group Wading Bird Working Group Raptor Working Group Shorebird Working Group Seabird Working Group Waterfowl Working Group SDM Working Group

62 Take Home Points There are significant resource connections of the Gulf to the rest of the continent There is a demand for integration Improved efficiency Coordinated response Our conservation framework helps integrate efforts Alignment of priorities The Gulf of Mexico is a hotbed of integration Preparation meeting opportunity LCCs are at the forefront of this effort A good example of how landscape conservation works

63 Questions?

THE GULF COAST VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT:

THE GULF COAST VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT: Amanda Watson GCVA Coordinator Mississippi State University Gulf Coast Prairie LCC June 3, 2015 Webinar Why? Changing Conditions Conservation is increasingly challenging