Agenda - 06-07-1993 - VII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 The Study The Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study (APES) is a five year cooperative effort jointly sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is one of twenty-one estuary projects nationwide that are a part of the EPA National Estuary Program. The National Estuary Program aims to protect the local, state, and national interest in maintaining the ecological integrity of the important estuaries through long-term planning and management. Important components of the National Estuary Program and APES are the consideration of water quality, fisheries resources, land and water habitats, and the interaction of humans with the natural resource of the estuarine system as a whole. The charge to APES was to look at this system as a whole and to consider all aspects of its ecological integrity. The APES program has generated research information and public awareness to support the development of this Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) composed of recommendations for management strategies to protect the system's estuarine resources. In these efforts, APES has been guided by four committees composed of 95 members: a Policy Committee, a Technical Committee, an Albemarle Citizens Advisory Committee, and a Pamlico Citizens Advisory Committee. The members of these committees represent government agencies, university researchers, and the public including a variety of interests: environmental groups, agriculture, forestry, developers, industry,fishermen, and local elected officials. The members of these committees are listed at the end of this summary. The Plan The CCMP is a blueprint for maintaining and restoring the biological, physical, and chemical integrity of the A/P estuarine system. It identifies the most pressing environmental problems in the Albemarle-Pamlico system and presents specific management actions to protect and enhance the estuarine system, its water quality, and its natural land and water resources, for present and future generations. The CCMP is the product of a collaborative, consensus-building effort involving numerous federal, state, and local agencies, interest groups, organizations, and individuals. The staff has worked with APES committees and many others to determine the most pressing resource protection issues in the Albemarle-Pamlico system and the most effective strategies to address these issues. These issues and strategies are summarized below. While some recommended management actions reflect the consensus of the numerous interests involved in the development process, other management actions reflect compromises. The recommended actions presented herein are believed to be the most effective, the most feasible, and the most immediately necessary to protect the health of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system. The CCMP is organized into a series of smaller plans. The bulk of the recommendations are made in the action plans. Each action plan addresses a specific area of concern: Human Environment, Vital Terrestrial Areas and Wetlands, Water Quality, Fisheries, and Public Education and Involvement. Each action plan presents background material on the area of concern and 'Executive Summary-13