Other NOAA Fisheries Service’s Activities Related to Wetland Conservation

Formula-Based Wetland Mitigation Using Economic Principles (Mitigation Calculator): NOAA is responsible for making recommendations regarding permit applications for development projects that will adversely affect coastal wetlands. Coastal wetlands are important to fisheries and other marine resources but at risk from development, sea level rise, and other environmental changes. Consequently, the NOAA Fisheries Service recommends that adverse impacts to wetland habitat be avoided. In many cases, where avoidance is not possible, NOAA Fisheries Service recommends actions to minimize adverse impacts and provide mitigation for the remainder. Where the mitigation takes the form of creating, restoring or enhancing alternative wetland habitat, a formulaic approach combining economic principles and biophysical information would provide a standard way to ensure the appropriate amount of mitigation is known and considered. The Office of Habitat Conservation is exploring this tool to develop a uniform approach to its recommendations and to account for wetland losses or gains.

Executive Order on Cooperative Conservation: “The purpose of this order is to ensure that the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency implement laws relating to the environment and natural resources in a manner that promotes cooperative conservation, with an emphasis on appropriate inclusion of local participation in Federal decision making, in accordance with their respective agency missions, policies, and regulations. As used in this order, the term "cooperative conservation" means actions that relate to use, enhancement, and enjoyment of natural resources, protection of the environment, or both, and that involve collaborative activity among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental entities and individuals.”