Virginia Coastal Program: 2003 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2003 Task 95.032
Grantee:
Institute for Environmental Negotiation
Project Title:
Section 309 Coastal Needs Assessment and Strategies
Project Description as Proposed:
The Institute for
Environmental Negotiation will analyze regulatory and non-regulatory
programs in Virginia in the topic areas identified in Section 309
of the Coastal Zone Management Act. This work will then be used
to update the Coastal Needs Assessment and Strategy for the Coastal
Program covering federal FY 06-10. Information will be collected
and analyzed for the nine coastal enhancement areas including: wetlands,
public access, cumulative and secondary impacts, ocean resources,
coastal hazards, marine debris, aquaculture, special area management
planning, and energy and government facility siting. The Scope of
the analysis will be consistent with NOAA’s guidance issued
on March 28, 2005 as well as the National Coastal Management Performance
Measurement System requirements for Public Access Indicators.
IEN will coordinate this entire project through the Coastal Program
staff and the Coastal Policy Team. IEN will be responsible for preparing
the draft and final Coastal Needs Assessment. In addition, IEN will
work with the Coastal Policy Team to identify four areas of highest
priority. IEN will then convene four focus group meetings dedicated
to discussions on each of these four areas. The purpose of these
focus groups is to bring together the people in the Commonwealth
working with the issue at hand and to determine what role the Coastal
Program could fill to further efforts in these areas. These discussions
are intended to be topic-based strategic planning sessions, and
not related to specific grant projects, recipients of funds and
funding amounts. Those more detailed discussions will be coordinated
by Coastal Program staff outside of the scope of this grant. IEN
will provide written summaries of each of these focus group meetings
to Coastal Program staff.
Federal Funding:
$30,141
Project Contact:
Tanya Denckla Cobb, 434.924.1855; tanyadc@virginia.edu OR Laura McKay, 804.698.4323; Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
Working with VA CZM staff, IEN staff identified key informational needs and research protocols, and identified key resource people and sources for each assessment area. VA CZM staff and IEN staff established date for late September meeting with Coastal Policy Team to review draft assessment.
IEN staff worked with DEQ coastal staff to develop ranking criteria for use by the Coastal Policy Team. IEN submitted the draft assessment to Coastal Program staff and Coastal Policy Team for review and then received written comments/ suggestions from Coastal Policy Team and compiled these comments for the meeting with Coastal Policy Team.
IEN staff developed and presented to the Coastal Policy Team on September 26 a PowerPoint summary of their findings and recommendations for each of the nine assessment areas.
IEN staff facilitated discussion of further information needs, comments and proposed revisions, and facilitated prioritization of assessment areas for the next 309 period. Based on this meeting, IEN staff began made revisions to the draft Assessment.
IEN also facilitated focus group meeting in December to draft strategies for four of the six high priority areas. Focus group meeting minutes were provided to VA CZM staff.
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
