Some coastal resource managers are placing “coastal and marine planning” much higher on their to-do lists as a result of rising national interest and activity in developing offshore renewable energy resources. As one of the lead federal agencies in coastal and marine planning, NOAA can help.
Over the past two years, the U.S. has established both a planning framework for offshore areas and a regulatory process for developing renewable energy in federal waters.
And last February, the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of the Interior unveiled a plan to streamline the development of offshore wind energy as part of Interior’s “Smart from the Start” program. The plan makes available more than $50 million in funding that is intended to get rid of market barriers and speed the development of next-generation technologies. (See www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/news/news_detail.html?news_id=16709.)
While enthusiasm about wind energy is driving interest in coastal and marine planning, many other sectors need to be involved, too—the fishing industry, national security interests, officials leasing submerged lands, coastal community developers, and agencies protecting critical habitat, to mention just a few.
At www.csc.noaa.gov/cmsp/, the NOAA Coastal Services Center provides the guidance, tools, and data that can ease the learning curve for coastal managers who need to start planning for uses of coastal and marine areas.
Multipurpose Marine Cadastre
This screening tool enables users to find authoritative and relevant data and information to refine wind-energy site searches, create and customize detailed maps, and address project ideas with collaborators, regulators, and stakeholders. The cadastre also provides a communication link among stakeholders, who can send maps back and forth via e-mail, sit face-to-face and view information, or present maps and data in public meetings. This ongoing project is led by the Center and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.
Offshore Renewable Energy Planning Site
The tools, guides, data sets, and trainings featured on this website can support anyone with a role in finding the best offshore renewable energy locations. A resource sampling includes CanVis, a visual simulation tool that can illustrate the visual impact of offshore wind turbines; the Benthic Terrain Modeler, which helps users examine the deepwater environment; and a guide, Marine Managed Areas: Best Practices for Boundary Making.
Legislative Atlas
Organizations interested in coastal and marine planning and regional ocean management will appreciate how the Legislative Atlas provides quick access to the complex set of laws governing the nation’s ocean waters. With the atlas, users pinpoint and view on a map the laws, policies, and jurisdictions that apply to their specific coastal areas. Also, users are able to download laws in the form of spatial data.
To learn more about the NOAA Coastal Services Center’s coastal and marine planning resources, contact Adam.Bode@noaa.gov.
