Balancing infrastructure and economic development, which can impact wetlands, with environmental protection and enhancement is a challenge for coastal resource managers in every state.
The cover story in this edition of Coastal Services focuses on North Carolina's unique program to address Clean Water Act requirements to provide compensatory mitigation to replace lost wetlands functions.
The North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program has received numerous national awards for innovation, primarily because it works to address environmental impacts proactively, not reactively.
The cover story looks at the program's goals, its success, and the steps the state took in its creation.
Also in this edition, you can read how Alabama coastal managers quickly joined forces after Hurricane Ivan to simultaneously dredge a navigation channel and restore beach and natural habitat.
Other articles cover a new national public awareness campaign that is working to instill a conservation mentality in those whose hobbies involve the natural environment, how environmental educators are helping teachers use geographic information systems in the classroom, and a new publication that can take all the sun, salt, sand, and water that beachcombers can dish out.
We hope reading about such successful programs helps coastal managers communicate with and learn from each other. Another venue for learning about new and innovative coastal management projects and programs is Coastal Zone 05 (CZ05).
CZ05, the premier conference for the world's coastal resource managers, is being held July 17 through 21 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Conference tracks include coastal ecosystem health, communities and culture, hazards, and resource management.
With over 1,000 participants expected to attend from all over the world, this conference promises to provide valuable tools, lessons learned, and many new ideas. For more information, go to www.csc.noaa.gov/cz/.
Also, in the coming months, look for a survey evaluating Coastal Services and its sister publication, Coastal Connections. Your responses will help make sure these two publications contain the information you want to read.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
