The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBENP) last week released to the public the Draft Update of their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for 2019-2023 for a 45-day comment period.
Developed by over 300 community leaders, this CCMP update will be the roadmap for protecting and restoring what people value most about living in coastal Alabama over the next four years.
The final document will be implemented by the MBNEP Management Conference including federal, state and local officials and agencies, industries, businesses, academia, and citizen groups.
The MBNEP, like the other 27 National Estuary Programs, operates through the development and implementation of a CCMP, which serves as a “blueprint” for management of coastal and estuarine resources.
A CCMP is developed based on local input and supporting local priorities to protect water quality, sustain living resources, manage coastal habitats, reduce human impacts, and build citizen stewardship. It is developed through a consensus-building and collaborative decision-making process by the MBNEP Management Conference.
Conference partners commit to roles implementing CCMP goals, objectives, and recommended activities to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of Mobile Bay and its watersheds.