Governors’ South Atlantic Alliance
Overview and Status
M. Richard DeVoe
S.C. Sea Grant Consortium
GCOOS-RA Parties Meeting
New Orleans, LA
March 4, 2010
Presentation Outline
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Background
Formation and Organization
Regional Framework
Priority Issue Areas
Next Steps
Discussion
South Atlantic
South Atlantic Alliance
Information and Feedback Sessions
South Atlantic Alliance
Partnership Agreement
 Signed by the Governors of SC, GA, FL, & NC
 Joint formal announcement of Alliance held in Charleston,
SC on October 19, 2009
 Regional and national attention
 Web site – http://www.southatlanticalliance.org
Partnership Agreement
Signed by the Governors of NC, SC, GA & FL,
the Alliance Partnership Agreement:
 Recognizes Southeast challenges
 Supports regionally-based actions and solutions
 Creates a partnership among states, federal and local
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agencies; academia; nongovernmental organizations;
businesses; and the public
Aligns with state recommendations to the U.S.
Commission on Ocean Policy
Mission Statement
Regionally implement science based actions
and policy solutions that more efficiently and
effectively balance coastal and marine
ecosystems’ capacity to support human and
natural systems in South Atlantic region.
Goals
The Alliance provides a structure and forum for
collaborating, coordinating, and sharing information
that will support:
Resource sustainability
Improved regional alignment
Cooperative planning and leveraging resources
Integrated research, observations, and mapping
Increased awareness of the challenges facing the
South Atlantic Region
 Inclusiveness and integration at all levels
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What the Alliance is NOT…
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It
It
It
It
is not a governing body
does not dictate actions
does not duplicate actions
is not insular
Alliance Structure
South Atlantic Alliance Executive Group
Governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida
Vision
Supporting Partners
Coordination /Inter- Governmental Integration
INPUT
South Atlantic Alliance Steering Group
Federal Partners
Local /Municipal
Partners
Academic / Research
Partners
Designated by Governor / Executive Group
SUPPORT
Direction
INPUT
Private Sector Partners
NGO Alliance Partners
SUPPORT
Regional Organizations
Coordination / Inter and Intra - Agency Integration
South Atlantic Alliance Issue Area
Technical Teams
DisasterResilient
Communities
Working
Waterfronts
State Team Lead
State Team Lead
Critical Tools to be
Integrated
· Mapping (including
bathymetry)
· Education and
Public Awareness
· Ocean Observing
· Environmental
Clean Coastal
and
Ocean Waters
Healthy
Ecosystems
State Team Lead
State Team Lead
and Monitoring
· Scientific Research
· Regional Fisheries
· Data Integration and
·
Management
Modeling, and
Trends Analysis
Quality
· Natural
Resources
(biological and
physical)
· Human, Social
and Economic
Resources
and Planning
Management
Crosscutting
Considerations
Dimensions
Execution
· Cultural, Heritage
and Historical
Resources
· Military and
National Security
Steering Group Members
NC – Dee Freeman, Secretary
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
SC – Earl S. Hunter, Commissioner
Department of Health and Environmental Control
John E. Frampton, Director
Department of Natural Resources
GA – Chris Clark, Commissioner
Department of Natural Resources
FL –
Robert Ballard, Deputy Secretary
Land and Recreation
Department of Environmental Protection
Federal Agency Co-leads
NOAA -
Dr. Paul A. Sandifer
Interim Science Advisor to the Administrator
USDOI -
Dr. Eric Strom
Director, South Carolina Water Center
U.S. Geological Survey
USEPA -
Dr. Tom Welborn
Chief, Wetlands Coastal, and Oceans Branch
EPA Region 4
Executive Planning Team
Chris Russo
Louis Daniel
Jim Gregson
Michelle Duval
Carolyn Boltin-Kelly
Robert Boyles
Rick DeVoe
Brad Gane
Rebecca Prado
Craig Diamond
Nick Wiley
Gil McRae
Lee Edmiston
Organizational Effectiveness Director, NC DENR
Director, NC DENR - Division of Marine Fisheries
Director, NC DENR - Division of Coastal Management
Exec. Asst. for Councils, NC DENR – Div. of Marine Fisheries
Deputy Commissioner, SC DHEC Ocean & Coastal Resource Mgt
Director, SC DNR - Marine Resources Division
Executive Director, SC Sea Grant Consortium
Assistant Division Director, GA DNR – CRD, Ecological Services
Sr. Mgmt Analyst, FL DEP - Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas
Chief, State Planning, FL Department of Community Affairs
Exec. Director, FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Director, FL Marine Research Institute
Director, FL DEP – Office of Coastal & Aquatic Managed Areas
Paul Friday
Camille Destafney
Ginny Fay
Eric Strom
Tom Welborn
Mary Conley
James Leutze
Ron Baird
Roger Pugliese
Debra Hernandez
Christine Laporte
Director, Government and External Relations, US Marine Corps
Regional Environmental Director, US Navy - Southeast
Senior Policy Analyst, NOAA
Director, USGS South Carolina Water Center
Chief, EPA Region 4 Wetlands Coastal, and Oceans Branch
Southeast Marine Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy
Chancellor Emeritus, University of North Carolina-Wilmington
UNC Wilmington Center for Marine Science
Sr. Fishery Biologist, S.A. Fishery Management Council
Exec. Dir., Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Assn.
Coordinator, SE Regional Research Plan – University of Georgia
Recognition of Ongoing Regional
Program
Focus
Efforts
South Atlantic Regional Research Planning
(SARRP)
Coastal/ocean research priorities
Southeast Center for Ocean Sciences Education
Excellence (COSEE-Southeast)
Coastal and ocean education
Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional
Association (SECOORA)
(Near) Real-time ocean observations
MARMAP and SEAMAP
Regional fisheries assessments
The Nature Conservancy
Ecoregional assessments; CMSP
South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council
(SAFMC)
Regional fisheries and habitat mgmt
Southeast and Caribbean Regional Team
(SECART)
Regional NOAA partnership effort
Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning
and Sustainability (SERPPAS)
DoD-states mgmt partnership
Initial Priority Issue Areas
 The four states have identified an initial set of priority
issue areas
 These have been agreed to by the Governors
 Priorities may be added or changed (in the future)
Healthy Ecosystems
Working Waterfronts
Clean Coastal and Ocean Waters
Disaster-Resilient Communities
Healthy Ecosystems
The South Atlantic supports a diverse array of coastal,
estuarine, and offshore ecosystems which provide numerous
ecological and economic benefits. The Alliance will work to:
 Enhance ecosystem-based management efforts;
 Maintain and improve ecosystem structure and function;
 Increase understanding of the scope, scale and distribution of
resources; and
 Standardize, integrate, and make accessible spatial and temporal
data
Working Waterfronts
Working waterfronts are commercial facilities that require
direct access to or a location on, over or adjacent to
coastal waters. Sustaining adequate access and
infrastructure is crucial. The Alliance will work to:
 Strike a balance between new development, historic uses and
sustained resources;
 Support port development/maintenance and effective coastal
planning; and
 Ensure public access.
Clean Coastal and Ocean Waters
Significant impacts to estuarine water quality and coastal
ecosystem health are predicted as a result of increasing
coastal urbanization. The Alliance will work to:
 View impacts and management at a regional level;
 Consider point and non-point discharge impacts on oceans and
human health; and
 Utilize regional observation and monitoring in decision-making.
1994
2030
Disaster-Resilient Communities
Both short-term and long-term changes in weather and
climate are major concerns in the southeast. These
changes threaten our coastal communities, tourism, and
fishing industries. The Alliance will work to:
 Share best practices as we prepare for the next emergency;
 Increase understanding of our vulnerability to, and the
impacts of, storms and climate change; and
 Improve prediction, observation and forecasting capabilities.
South Atlantic Alliance…
…Next Steps
 Draft Governors Action Plan & Hold Feedback Sessions
(Spring 2010)
 Finalize Action Plan and Develop Implementation Plan
(Spring-Summer 2010)
 Identify Supporting Partners to Assist Implementation
(Spring-Summer 2010)
 Implementation Plans Initiated
(Summer-Fall 2010)
Opportunities for Collaboration...
…Region-to-Region…Observing-to-Implementation
 Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning framework
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Offshore energy facility siting (esp. natural gas, wind)
Sand mining (e.g., for beach nourishment projects)
Military exercises/training grounds
Navigation/marine transportation
Marine protected areas
Essential fisheries habitat
Offshore aquaculture siting
 Offshore-onshore connections
 Energy facilities/electrical grid
 Coastal infrastructure needs
 Coastal community engagement
Opportunities for Collaboration...
…Region-to-Region…Observing-to-Implementation
 Coastal and Ocean Water Quality
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Hypoxia
Eutrophication
Harmful Algal Blooms
Stormwater run-off
 Episodic and Chronic Hazards
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Hurricanes and coastal storms
Flooding and inundation
Shoreline change
Land subsidence
Sea level rise
Temperature shifts
??? Snow and ice ???
Opportunities for Collaboration...
…Region-to-Region…Observing-to-Implementation
 Healthy Ecosystems
 Habitats
 Species diversity and shifts
 Invasive species
 Scope of Regional Efforts
 Applications at local, state and regional needs
 Governance – Degree of influence of Alliance efforts on feds
and states
 Level of engagement of partner institutions and regional
organizations
Governors’ South Atlantic Alliance
Overview and Status
M. Richard DeVoe
S.C. Sea Grant Consortium
GCOOS-RA Parties Meeting
New Orleans, LA
March 4, 2010
Governors South Atlantic Alliance
www.southatlanticalliance.org
Rick DeVoe
Executive Director
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
rick.devoe@scseagrant.org