§8302 Definitions

Summary

The chapter defines key words used for work on coastal habitats. Coastal ecosystem means the living community and its coastal home. Coastal habitat assessment means checking a site’s physical, chemical, and biological parts to see how valuable it is to fish and wildlife. Coastal habitat enhancement means changing those parts to boost or reduce certain functions that help fish and wildlife. Coastal habitat planning means making a full plan that describes the ecosystem, sets protection/restoration/enhancement goals and priorities, explains strategies and methods, gives a timeline, and names who will do what. Coastal habitat protection means long‑term actions to safeguard valuable habitat and can include helping set up conservation easements or buying land with Federal and non‑Federal partners. Coastal habitat restoration means changing the system to restore natural functions as fully as practical. Coastal landscape covers many habitat types, like wetlands, rivers, bays, seagrass or reefs, beaches and dunes, mangroves, and nearby uplands. Coastal State includes coastal U.S. States and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Federal trust species are migratory birds, species listed under the Endangered Species Act, interjurisdictional fish, and marine mammals the Secretary manages. Financial assistance means Federal money given by grant or cooperative agreement to Federal, State, local, or Tribal governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofit groups, or private parties. Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. Service means the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Technical assistance means the Service helping projects with scientific knowledge, skills, or advice for planning, assessment, protection, restoration, or enhancement.