To quote Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Change is certain." And change is what we as coastal resource managers have to do in order to better protect, restore, develop, regulate, mitigate, use, and enjoy our coastal and ocean resources.
The cover story for this edition of Coastal Services provides an example of two nonprofit organizations changing the way they do business to protect millions of acres of California ocean bottom while simultaneously addressing the economic issues facing fishermen who would have suffered if more stringent conservation regulations were imposed.
By partnering and unifying their interests with trawl fishermen and the fishing community, the Nature Conservancy and Environmental Defense improved their effectiveness.
We at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center also are committed to using partnerships and collaboration as our mode of operation.
One of our partners is the California Coastal Conservancy. Recently, the Center provided funding and technical assistance for a study documenting regional technical and organizational needs of conservation agencies and groups in northern California, with an eye to better connecting marine and land conservation. To view the needs assessment on the Web, point your browser to www.nrsrcaa.org/linkinglandsea/index.htm.
The Center's work with the California Coastal Conservancy and others will continue with the formation of a coalition to determine how the various organizations might work together to support conservation efforts in the north coast region.
One thing that makes these efforts a little different is the role that NOAA is playing. Instead of the federal government leading the effort, the Center is playing a supporting role and letting the local organizations prioritize their needs and lead the charge.
Another example is NOAA's sponsorship of October's National Land Conservation Conference—specifically the conference's Wetlands, Coasts, and Watersheds track. These sessions encouraged exploring creative solutions for coastal conservation by connecting land trusts' efforts with those of the coastal, watershed, and hazards management communities.
Change may mean reaching beyond traditional partnerships to find solutions, or it may mean adjusting how we do business to allow change to occur. The result is the same either way.
We hope that you find the information in this and every edition of Coastal Services interesting and useful.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
