A Healthy Environment
The Environmental Committee found that the solutions to environmental challenges can be found in three areas: management and
communication, data and monitoring, and action projects. The committee divided potential projects into four categories: water
quality, fisheries, beaches and barrier islands, and wetlands and critical habitats. The committee worked on creating a method of
screening and prioritizing projects, but the method may need refinement.
VULNERABILITIES
Management/coordination/communication:
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Weak coordination of response to disasters, whether manmade or natural
Lack of credible communication
Inadequate use of local expertise
Lack of influence by local officials; lack of participation in the decision-making process
Sidebar: Management/Communications
Local officials and the Coast Guard have very different assessments of the oil spill response. Local officials express enormous
frustration at being ignored by the Coast Guard and BP. However, the Coast Guard, with its reliance on a top-down chain of command
that has no room for a “local officials” box in the organizational chart, considers the response to be a great success and a great
example of the public sector and the private sector working together in a crisis.
Data/monitoring:
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Not enough data about the ecosystem, including currents, water temperature, salinity, dissolved-oxygen levels, etc.
Data is not available in one central, real-time, user-friendly place
Ecosystem:
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Already stressed; little ability to absorb further stresses resulting from a natural or manmade disaster.
Mabus Report: “The spill has exacerbated the effects of a multitude of storms and years of environmental decline.”
Infrastructure problems on land contribute to stresses on the marine ecosystem.
Sidebar: Infrastructure Effects
Badly planned infrastructure on land can degrade the marine ecosystem. For example, impermeable parking lots (asphalt, concrete)
create runoff that washes oil from vehicles and other pollutants, plus sediment, into the Bay and Gulf. But road surfaces should be
impermeable, because dirt roads also contribute to sediment runoff problems.
FIXES
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Management/coordination/communication:
Create a Coastal Environmental Management Council with decision-making authority.
Make the council part of or affiliated with one of several current agencies/groups: Fisheries Management Council, South
Alabama Regional Planning Commission, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium,
Emergency Management Agency, Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources.
Assign the following duties to the council:
Draw input/members from all community sectors, including user groups, nongovernmental organizations and elected officials.
Create a Comprehensive Community Vision—begin to eliminate the division between Mobile and Baldwin counties.
Prioritize projects for implementation.
Act as a communications clearinghouse.
Receive dedicated funding from a Restoration/Resiliency Trust Fund (funded by oil and gas royalties) and direct funds to other
agencies/groups. NOTE: This is similar to the Gulf Coast Recovery Council proposed in the Mabus Report.
Pull-out quotes: Mabus Report:
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“Local governments and citizen stakeholders must play a critical role in the Gulf Coast Recovery Council. The Gulf Coast
Recovery Council must be allocated the resources to maintain adequate intergovernmental outreach, public affairs and
communications personnel to be effective while remaining lean and efficient.”
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“The Gulf Coast Recovery Council should seek out participation from a wide variety of stakeholders, involve the private and
nonprofit sectors, be transparent and accountable to taxpayers, and maintain the confidence of the public.”
Data/monitoring:
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Develop an Integrated Ocean Observation System (IOOS).
Create a comprehensive system integrating data from the Gulf of Mexico and associated waters, such as Mobile Bay.
Centralize data collection and synthesis at NOAA’s National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) at the Stennis Space
Center in Mississippi.
Continuously gather and monitor data on currents, water temperature, salinity, dissolved-oxygen levels, and any other
characteristics of interest/use to the scientific community and public. Use existing data sources and add additional monitoring
as needed.
Include data from oil and gas rigs.
Sidebar: List of data Web sites:
Other states have a variety of data available publicly over the Internet. We’ll do a list of representative Web sites to give people an
idea of what the Environmental Committee envisions.
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Create a user-friendly, real-time, interactive interface, similar to weather maps, so data can be used by general public
(fishermen, boaters, surfers, etc.) as well as the scientific community.
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Develop a consistent way of providing an ongoing, comprehensive assessment of backbays, estuaries, wetlands, coastal
watersheds and other important ecosystems.
Establish a Coastal Authority Area Board (similar to what Alabama had from 1979 to 1985) that would:
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Possibly have regulatory authority. (NOTE: ADEM objects to this provision.)
Advise policymakers.
Have a role in a unified command structure during a coastal emergency.
Consistently monitor ecosystems.
Continuously update data.
Graphic: NEP Web site screen shot
Establish a Coastal Trust Fund to act as a supplemental funding source for projects that need a little extra money to be
completed, projects that want to start immediately while their main funding works its way through the pipeline, etc.
Mabus Report: “An idea that has arisen on numerous occasions is the need for an independently funded, nongovernmental
recovery effort. This would be an opportunity for local and regional leadership to tackle issues not funded through the Oil
Pollution Act or other existing sources.”
Fund projects directly as needed, and make funding available to communities for local projects.
Partner with other Gulf Coast states.
Establish a board of trustees to oversee the fund.
Secure permanent funding from oil and gas royalties.
Develop resiliency metrics, protocols, processes, and procedures.
Establish community rating systems.
Establish a state clearinghouse for data, including geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing, flood maps, etc.
Establish a Coastal and Inland Flooding Observation and Warning Project (CI-FLOW), based on North Carolina’s similar
project, that would include a flow model for storm surges, rainfall and predicted sea-level rise.
Create a Wild Seafood Institute to continuously test and monitor Gulf seafood.
Possibly test and monitor aquaculture as well.
PROJECTS
Water quality
Goal: Improve water quality so that it meets or exceeds Clean Water Act standards.
Objectives:
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Reduce sediment, pathogens, fertilizer/nutrients and other non-point source pollution.
Manage volume and flow of water through restoration of watersheds.
Improve infrastructure so that it does not contribute to degradation of water quality.
Fisheries
Goal: Preserve and promote genetic diversity and yield of marine species.
Objectives:
To be added; not yet discussed. Aquaculture will have to be mentioned here.
Beaches and barrier islands.
Mabus Report: “This is a region that was already struggling with urgent environmental challenges, such as the loss of coastal barrier
islands and marshes that protect coastal communities from frequent hurricanes.”
Goal: Increase the reach, extent and protection of barrier islands and Gulf beaches.
Objective: Protect, restore and renourish shorelines.
Wetlands and critical habitats
Goal: Preserve and restore wetlands and other critical habitats to sustain ecosystem services, function and value.
Objective: Acquire, protect, restore and enhance wetlands and critical habitats.
Project selection criteria:
Project addresses at least 2 of the following long-term recovery goals:
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Prevention of, recovery from and restoration following oil spills
Coastal resiliency
Preservation/restoration of fish and wildlife
Restoration of human use losses
Project has a Gulf-wide or regional (Mobile Bay) benefit rather than benefiting just a local area.
Project addresses the root cause of a problem or loss, not simply symptoms of the underlying problem(s).
Project addresses long-term restoration of our coastal way of life rather than just alleviating short-term hardships.
Project is technologically feasible, environmentally sound and economically feasible.
NOTE: The committee also discussed including enforcement of green building and energy-efficiency standards for all projects.
Pull-out quotes from the Mabus Report:
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“Promoting of a clean energy economy: Residents of the Gulf coast have expressed a desire to transition to a clean-energy
economy. A number of efforts from both the public and private sector have helped prime the pump for additional investments
in clean energy.”
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“The state of Alabama has focused on a variety of restoration and conservation activities in its coastal areas. It cites tax
revenues generated through tourism activity in the coastal counties as an important contribution to the state economy.
Barrier‐ island restoration is a priority for the state. The health of Mobile Bay, particularly the Mobile‐ Tensaw River Delta,
has been a major focus of state efforts. The Mobile River basin drains an area of nearly 44,000 square miles across Alabama,
Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia into Mobile Bay. Through the Forever Wild Program, and other programs, the state has
invested in land protection around the delta and is working to address hydrologic connections, water quality, and nutrient
pollution in the bay.
ARBOR
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a possible approach to sorting out all the action projects that have been proposed for
coastal Alabama. The Alabama coastal Recovery, Beneficial use, and Operation Response plan, or ARBOR, includes projects
proposed by a variety of sources.
ALABAMA COASTAL RECOVERY, BENEFICIAL USE, AND OPERATION RESPONSE PLAN (ARBOR)
GOALS
1.
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5.
Prevention, Recovery, Restoration, of Oil Spills
Establish Management Process for Prioritizing
Update and Enforce Drilling Well Safety Regulations
Investigate use of Dispersants
Develop Pro-active Emergency Response Plans
6. Strategically Position Response Resources
7. Involve Local Elected Officials
8. Develop Oil Spill Control Plan within 5 Miles of Event
9. Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction
10. Preservation of Fish and Wildlife
11. Ecosystem Restoration and Protection (Marine, Estuarine, Hydrologic, etc)
12. Restoration, Management and Improvement of State-Owned Lands
13. Seafood Safety
14. Reduction of Saltwater Intrusion
15. Restoration of Local Freshwater Hydrologic Connectivity on Coastal Watersheds
16. Prevention of Shoreline Erosion
17. Restoration of Human Use Losses
18. Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure
19. Historic and Cultural Resources
20. Other water related resources
PROJECTS
Phase I (Construction Can Be Initiated Within 6 Months) *
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Mon Louis Island Shoreline Protection and other Living Shoreline Protection (5)
Brookley Field Emergent Tidal Marsh Structures (3)
Dauphin Island Parkway Restoration (3)
Grand Bay NERR Swift Tract Restoration (3)
Shell Belt Road Restoration (5)
Bon Secour Shoreline Protection (5)
Back Bay Shoreline (5)
Restoration in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Shoreline (5)
Seed, Collection, Storage, Propagation and Restoration for impacted areas (3)
Seafood Safety and Testing (3)
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Restoration of Infrastructure at Ft. Morgan from Response Activities (3)
Sand Island Beach Restoration (3)
Three-Mile Creek Hydrologic Restoration (3)
Upper Mobile Bay Habitat and Hydrologic Restoration (3)
Oyster Beds Restoration (3)
Wetland Breakwater Construction in Mobile Bay using Dredged Material (2,5)
PHASE II (Construction can begin in 1-2 years after Planning, Engineering, and Design) *
 Coastal Alabama Comprehensive Beach Restoration (5)
 Restoration of Gulf State Park (6)
 Restoration of State-owned Parks (6)
 Improved Hydrologic Habitat Restoration (U.S. Highway 90 Causeway) (3)
 Little Sand Island Expansion of Wetlands using Dredged Material (3)
 Goat Island Expansion using Dredged Material (3)
 Restoration of Historic Benthics and SAV Beds adjacent to Brookley AFB Airport (3)
 Restoration of Wetlands South of I-10 and Causeway using Dredged Material (3)
*Numbers in parenthesis denote goal numbers
PHASE III (Long Term—Construction Can Begin Within 3 Years and Beyond) *
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Sanitary Sewer Improvement (Ex. Bayou La Batre’s seafood industry wastewater discharge upgrades) (6)
Ongoing Seafood Safety (3)
Large Restoration of Impaired Freshwater/Saltwater Hydrologic Connections (3)
Coastal Alabama Local Stormwater Improvements (6)
Priority Land Acquisition (6)
Long-term Monitoring of all Coastal Watersheds and Aquifers (7)
Comprehensive Living Shoreline Protection Comprehensive (5)
Barrier Island Restoration (1,2,3,4,5,6)
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Development of “Greener” Transportation Alternatives
(Ex. Reduce Dependency on Oil) (1)
OTHER *
 Establishment of a Beneficial Use Group (2,3,4,5,6)
 Better Oversight involving the Public (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Ongoing Education and Outreach (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Research Management (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Establishment and Identification of Baseline Data (Ongoing) (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Establishment, Identification and Centralization of Data (Ongoing) (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Integration of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Effects (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Implementation of Regional Sediment Management Principles and Beneficial
 Use (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 Establishment of Lines of Lines Defense (2)
*Numbers in parenthesis denote goal numbers.
A Project Prioritization Approach
This is an approach created by LaDon Swann (Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium), Roberta Swann (Mobile Bay National
Estuary Program), and George Crozier (Dauphin Island Sea Lab).
Alabama Recovery Commission: Environmental Committee
Sustainability Outcomes
Priority
Areas/Goals
Environment
Economy
Society
Sustainable Coastal Development
Water quality and
Water Quality meets A well-train workforce
Healthy community that
Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
Priority
Areas/Goals
quantity sufficient
to support healthy
aquatic
communities and
designated human
uses.
Improved
understanding of
the value of our
coastal resources to
support informed
balanced decision
making.
Sustainability Outcomes
Environment
Economy
Society
or exceeds Clean
leading to green jobs.
is not afraid of
Water Act Standards
swimming in the water
Improved and modernized
or eating seafood.
infrastructure.
Coastal communities
use a variety of tools
and technologies to
Consistent,
adopt policies to protect
enforceable,
the sustainable
regional land and
ecosystem footprint
water use
needed to sustain
management that
coastal and marine
ensures smart
ecosystems and
growth for
implement community
sustainable
designs that are
development.
compatible with
carrying capacity of
coastal ecosystem and
water resources.
Living Resources
Native species are
maintained within
sustainable levels to
support a resilient
environment.
Increase/restore
productive Essential
Fish Habitat (EFH)
along the Alabama
coastline.
A healthy domestic
seafood industry
Incorporation of
ecosystem-based
Diverse and productive
nature-based tourism.
A safe seafood supply that
meets public demand at
affordable prices.
People of all ages
understand coastal and
ocean environments and
the need for
stewardship of healthy
ecosystems.
An informed public that
Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
Priority
Areas/Goals
that harvests,
produces, processes
and markets
seafood responsibly
and efficiently.
Environment
management
strategies as the
basis for sustainable
living resource
management.
Natural and human
threats to the longterm viability of
wild fish
populations are
minimized.
Sustainability Outcomes
Economy
Fishermen are
knowledgeable and employ
sustainable fishing
techniques.
Society
understands
vulnerability of coastal
resources.
Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
Preserve cultural
heritage.
Alternative sources of
seafood production with
acceptable environmental
impacts.
Adequate habitat
diversity to support
non-consumptive
uses.
Resilient Coastal Communities
Functional and
productive
ecosystems.
Community
capacity to prepare
for and respond to
hazardous events.
Recognition of the
Priority habitats
provide essential
ecosystem services.
Coastal interests
have access to new
approaches to
improve the
effectiveness of
coastal ecosystems.
Coastal habitats provide
economic support through
protection, habitat diversity
and recreation.
Cost-benefit analysis and
ecosystem services
assessments support
economic investments.
Implement Community Resiliency Index and
Critical Infrastructure.
Coastal communities
benefit from improved
risk communication
related to living,
working and doing
business along the
Expand the number of municipalities using
FEMA’s Community Rating Systems
(http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm).
Priority
Areas/Goals
impacts of climate
change.
Sustainability Outcomes
Economy
Environment
Society
Alabama coast.
Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
Management, Coordination, Communication
Integrate efforts of
public and private
partners to establish
common
understandings that
balance multiple
interests.
The full range of
coastal interests
effectively provide
input for critical
coastal decisions,
policy and
management
actions.
Cost-effective investment of
assets.
The community
recognizes the need to
balance multiple uses
and optimize
environmental
sustainability.
Create a Coastal Environmental Management
Council (CEMC) with decision making
authority. Responsibilities will include:
1. Ensure the Council is well populated with all
community sectors – user
groups/NGOs/governments/elected officials.
Ensure the Council members feed into Area
Contingency Planning and other appropriate
established Committees
2. Create a Comprehensive Community Vision –
begin to eliminate line between Mobile and
Baldwin Counties
3. Prioritize projects for implementation
4. Act as a Communications Clearinghouse
5. Funded by and directs funds from a
Restoration/Resiliency Trust Fund (Oil & Gas
Royalties Fund).
Priority
Areas/Goals
Environment
Sustainability Outcomes
Economy
Society
Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
6. Monitoring and Data Collection
Data collection and
monitoring supports
a comprehensive
ecosystem-based
framework for
management of
Gulf resources.
The multi-species
approach to
management
technology.
Improved reliability
of model projections
and application.
Utilize data and adaptive
tools and techniques to
maximize investment.
Capability to
understand the effects
of human activities and
environmental changes
on coastal resources.
Access to data, models
and training in a usable
form that supports
management decisions.
Develop an Integrated Ocean Observation
System (IOOS)
 Create a comprehensive system
integrating data from the Gulf of Mexico
and associated waters, such as Mobile Bay
 Centralize data collection and synthesis at
NOAA’s National Coastal Data
Development Center (NCDDC) at the
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi
o Continuously gather and monitor
data on currents, water
temperature, salinity, dissolvedoxygen levels, and any other
characteristics of interest/use to the
scientific community and public
o Include data from oil and gas rigs
o Add additional monitoring as
needed
 Display data in real time
 Create an easy-to-understand interactive
interface, like weather maps, so data can
be used by general public (fishermen,
boaters, surfers, etc.) as well as the
scientific community
2. Develop a consistent way of providing an
Priority
Areas/Goals
Environment
Sustainability Outcomes
Economy
Society
Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
ongoing, comprehensive assessment of
backbays, estuaries, wetlands, coastal
watersheds, and other important ecosystems
 Establish a Coastal Authority Area Board
(similar to what Alabama had from 1979
to 1985)
o Would have regulatory authority
o Would advise policymakers
o Would have a role in a unified
command structure during a
coastal emergency
 Consistently monitor ecosystems
 Continuously update data
3. Establish a Coastal Trust Fund
 Fund projects as needed; make funding
available to communities for local projects
 Partner with other Gulf Coast states
 Establish a board of trustees to oversee
 Secure permanent funding from oil and
gas royalties
4. Develop resiliency metrics, protocols,
processes, and procedures
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Establish a state clearinghouse for
data, including geographic information
system (GIS), remote sensing, flood maps,
etc.
Priority
Areas/Goals
Environment
Sustainability Outcomes
Economy
Society
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Work Group Recommendations
(these have been sent to us)
Establish a Coastal and Inland
Flooding Observation and Warning
Project (CI-FLOW), based on North
Carolina’s similar project
(www.nssl.noaa.gov/ciflow), that would
include a flow model for storm surges and
rainfall