16 U.S.C. § 6403: National coral reef…

Summary

The Administrator must create a national coral reef resilience strategy no later than 2 years after December 23, 2022. The strategy must be reviewed and updated at least every 15 years, with the best-practice guidance updated at least every 5 years, and more often if needed. The plan must describe current and new threats, research and monitoring gaps, how federal and local reef managers work together, and how reef data and maps are shared. It must focus on things like helping new corals grow, preventing losses, improving reef resilience, watershed planning and local capacity, fisheries data and management, understanding reef benefits, public education, and checking whether fixes work. The strategy must cover conservation and restoration work (including marine protected areas that respect local practices), science-based management and restoration, and handling reef emergencies. It must set national goals to guide federal work under section 6402, grant priorities under section 6410, and research priorities for institutes under section 6412(b)(1)(B). It must name priority areas for conservation and restoration to help approve grants under section 6410(e) and provide template tools and emergency best-practice guidance for action plans under section 6404. In making the strategy, the Administrator must consult the Secretary of the Interior, the Task Force, covered States, covered Native entities, and as appropriate the Secretary of Defense; engage stakeholders (including stewardship partnerships, reef research institutes in section 6412, and 6410 grant recipients); and ask the public to review and comment. The final strategy and any updates must be sent to the proper congressional committees and posted on the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website and the Task Force website.

Title 16, §6403

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

The Administrator shall—

(1)not later than 2 years after December 23, 2022, develop a national coral reef resilience strategy; and

(2)review and revise the strategy—

(A)not less frequently than once every 15 years;

(B)not less frequently than once every 5 years, in the case of guidance on best practices under subsection (b)(4); and

(C)as appropriate.

(b)Elements

The strategy required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1)A discussion addressing—

(A)continuing and emerging threats to the resilience of United States coral reef ecosystems;

(B)remaining gaps in coral reef ecosystem research, monitoring, and assessment;

(C)the status of management cooperation and integration among Federal reef managers and covered reef managers;

(D)the status of efforts to manage and disseminate critical information, and enhance interjurisdictional data sharing, related to research, reports, data sets, and maps;

(E)areas of special focus, which may include—

(i)improving natural coral recruitment;

(ii)preventing avoidable losses of corals and their habitat;

(iii)enhancing the resilience of coral populations;

(iv)supporting a resilience-based management approach;

(v)developing, coordinating, and implementing watershed management plans;

(vi)building and sustaining watershed management capacity at the local level;

(vii)providing data essential for coral reef fisheries management;

(viii)building capacity for coral reef fisheries management;

(ix)increasing understanding of coral reef ecosystem services;

(x)educating the public on the importance of coral reefs, threats and solutions; and

(xi)evaluating intervention efficacy;

(F)the status of conservation efforts, including the use of marine protected areas to serve as replenishment zones developed consistent with local practices and traditions and in cooperation with, and with respect for the scientific, technical, and management expertise and responsibilities of, covered reef managers;

(G)science-based adaptive management and restoration efforts; and

(H)management of coral reef emergencies and disasters.

(2)A statement of national goals and objectives designed to guide—

(A)future Federal coral reef management and restoration activities authorized under section 6402 of this title;

(B)conservation and restoration priorities for grants awarded under section 6410 of this title; and

(C)research priorities for the reef research coordination institutes designated under section 6412(b)(1)(B) of this title.

(3)A designation of priority areas for conservation, and priority areas for restoration, to support the review and approval of grants under section 6410(e) of this title.

(4)Technical assistance in the form of general templates for use by covered reef managers and Federal reef managers to guide the development of coral reef action plans under section 6404 of this title, including guidance on the best science-based practices to respond to coral reef emergencies that can be included in coral reef action plans.

(c)Consultations

In developing all elements of the strategy required by subsection (a), the Administrator shall—

(1)consult with the Secretary of the Interior, the Task Force, covered States, and covered Native entities;

(2)consult with the Secretary of Defense, as appropriate;

(3)engage stakeholders, including covered States, coral reef stewardship partnerships, reef research institutes and research centers described in section 6412 1 of this title, and recipients of grants under section 6410 of this title; and

(4)solicit public review and comment regarding scoping and the draft strategy.

(d)Submission to Congress; publication

The Administrator shall—

(1)submit the strategy required by subsection (a) and any revisions to the strategy to the appropriate congressional committees; and

(2)publish the strategy and any such revisions on public websites of—

(A)the Coral Reef Conservation Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and

(B)the Task Force.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 6412 of this title, referred to in subsecs. (b)(2)(C) and (c)(3), probably should be a reference to section 6411 of this title which relates to reef research coordination institutes and coral reef research centers. Subsec. (b)(1)(B) of section 6412 of this title probably should be a reference to section 6411(a)(1) of this title which requires the designation of reef research coordination institutes. section 6412(b) does not contain a par. (1)(B).

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6403, Pub. L. 106–562, title II, § 204, Dec. 23, 2000, 114 Stat. 2801, related to coral reef conservation program, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title C, § 10001(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3931.

§6403 National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy