| Coastal managers use SAMPs when the problems in a distinct area go beyond what can be addressed by existing local, state, and federal policies. |
Each one is unique, the way states approach them varies, the reasons for doing them are wide ranging, and even their names may be different. But Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs) share one thing in common; they are a powerful strategic planning tool for the nation's coastal resource managers.
"SAMPs are a really good tool for handling site-specific, geographic-specific problems," advises Stephen Moore, director of planning for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's Ocean and Coastal Resource Management division. Since 1981, South Carolina's coastal program has completed 11 SAMPs and is currently working on 3 more.
Twelve coastal states and territories have used this tool to develop 31 plans that fall under the SAMP definition in the Coastal Zone Management Act, according to Braxton Davis, who studied the topic while a graduate student in the Department of Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island.
Coastal managers use SAMPs when the problems in a distinct area go beyond what can be addressed by existing local, state, and federal policies.
SAMPs have been developed to deal with a wide variety of issues, such as watershed and resource management, water quality, coastal habitats, endangered species, economic development, hazards, and preserving cultural resources.
Benefits of their implementation include better resource protection, tailored regulations, more predictability in governmental decision making, and improved relationships between stakeholders and regulators.
Even if a completed plan isn't implemented, there may still be benefits and lessons to be learned by going through the process.
Defining Moment
Special Area Management Plans are loosely defined in a single sentence of a 1980 amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) as "a comprehensive plan providing for natural resource protection and reasonable coastal-dependent economic growth containing a detailed and comprehensive statement of policies; standards and criteria to guide public and private uses of lands and waters; and mechanisms for timely implementation in specific geographic areas within the coastal zone."
In 1990, funding incentives for states to make additional, voluntary improvements to their programs—including developing SAMPs—were added to the CZMA through the Coastal Zone Enhancement Program (Section 309).
"The Coastal Zone Management Act has a very clear definition of what a SAMP is," notes Davis, currently a contractor for the National Marine Protected Areas Center, "but there are few additional guidelines as far as development and contents."
He believes this is one of the reasons states have taken such a variety of approaches to the SAMP process.
"I was surprised at how widely varying the documents themselves are," Davis says. The documents he examined range from 12 to 470 pages, and cover areas ranging from 25 to 1,500 square miles. From state to state, everything from boundary definitions to goals and objectives is different. What one state calls a SAMP likely is called something else in another state.
Isn't That Special
Another reason SAMPs are so distinct, managers say, is that each area is, well, special.
"Each SAMP will be different," states Jeff Willis, deputy director of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. "It's a different animal depending on where and what the issues are." Rhode Island has completed four SAMPs since 1984, including an interstate plan with Connecticut, and is working on a fifth.
"If you get rid of the 'special' it just becomes a management plan. What makes special area management useful is focusing attention and resources on one small area that really needs the resources rather than spreading it around and producing random acts of environmental kindness," says Mark Imperial, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Start at the Beginning
While SAMPs are an important coastal management tool, it is not a simple task to bring the necessary elements together to develop and implement an effective plan. Differences in state programs, policies, and politics can dictate the feasibility and potential success of undergoing what can be a lengthy and arduous process. There are, however, some fundamental strategies that can be followed.
"A primary element of SAMPs," Davis says, "is that they are long-term. Strategic plans are ongoing policy documents, which are meant to reflect changing needs and conditions, as opposed to action plans that spell out steps 1 through 10 that must be gone through in order to finish a project."
Determining "the right scale for the effort" is important, says Imperial. "There is a tendency to bite off more than you can chew and pick areas that are too big." In addition, the area "has to have a special identity, not just to the folks who live there, but folks outside the area need to recognize it as special, too."
Both Moore and Willis agree that there must be a clearly defined problem that needs to be addressed.
"You have to be focused," Willis advises. "Don't allow yourself to address every issue out there."
Trying to work on too many issues at once, Imperial warns, drains resources. Once the most pressing issues are dealt with, the SAMP can be updated to focus on the next problems on the list.
The focus of SAMPs in Rhode Island and South Carolina includes addressing water quality by managing development, revitalizing waterfronts, locating a storm water utility, protecting cultural and natural resources, and providing research for future management decisions.
Local Support
Other keys to SAMP success are "support from a local governmental body, and participation and support from citizens," Moore says. "Interaction, cooperation, and buy-in with the local communities is very important for SAMP plans to be successful."
In South Carolina, SAMPs are done only at the request of a local government or community group. Requiring some financial assistance from the local government is a lesson South Carolina learned after its first plan was not implemented. "We have found that if the government spends money, they take it more seriously."
While local involvement is essential, it also is necessary to include other state and federal agencies with regulatory interests, nonprofit organizations, and other involved parties. Mark Imperial cautions, however, that the process can become bogged down if the planning group goes beyond the "right people. It really matters who is involved, and the leadership is critical."
Looking at Options
Coordination is the primary role the South Carolina and Rhode Island coastal programs play in the SAMP process, but they also provide advisory groups with technical expertise and contacts with researchers and experts. "We help them look at all the options available for each particular situation. That's a big part of our process," Moore says.
While research is important, Imperial says that the "lack of science can become a scapegoat for not making a decision."
"The science question is always interesting, but it is less important than many think," Imperial says. "Don't wait four or five years for research before you act to improve the watershed. It is a false hope that science will tell you what to do."
The most important part of the SAMP process is that the plan must be used by the partners when they are making management decisions. "If the plans are not on people's desks and they're not using it, then it doesn't really matter," Imperial says.
Worth the Effort
The reason Rhode Island and South Carolina continue to develop SAMPs is because they work. SAMPs in those states have resulted in less and smarter development, improved public access, revitalized waterfronts, and improved relationships among all levels of government and the public.
"Land that was developed in the 40s and 50s is still there today and looks remarkably the same as it did then," Willis says of a SAMP area. "You can see the difference in the development."
"SAMPs are a great tool for integrating policies," Davis says. "I think when looking at critical coastal areas, SAMPs provide a great opportunity to clear up some confusion and improve predictability in decision making."
Moore says the process gets easier with practice, and that they learned valuable lessons even from the plan that was not implemented. "We've gotten more sophisticated as time went on. Each time, we were learning."
To view the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management criteria for developing Special Area Management Plans, point your browser to www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/pdf/309fnlquestions_00.pdf (requires a plug-in such as Adobe® Reader® to view). To get more information on South Carolina SAMPs, go to www.scdhec.net/ocrm/. You may also contact Stephen Moore at (843) 744-5838, or moorese@dhec.sc.gov. For more information on Rhode Island's use of SAMPs, log on to www.crmc.state.ri.us. You may also contact Jeff Willis at (401) 783-3370, or j_willis@crmc.state.ri.us. For a summary of Braxton Davis' analysis of Special Area Management Plans, you may contact him at (803) 356-9997 or Braxton.Davis@noaa.gov.
