Archives by Tag 'biodiversity'

False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Meets to Review Proposed Rule (July 2011)

In July 2011, CONCUR facilitated a meeting of the NMFS False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team (Team) to review a proposed rule intended to reduce false killer whale bycatch in the Hawaii-based longline fleet. The three-day meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, was focused primarily on briefing and seeking feedback from Team members on the proposed [...]

Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in Hawaii (August 2011)

CONCUR conducted a one-day workshop in Honolulu, Hawaii, focused on effective community participation in Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) efforts. The August 2011 workshop was presented by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), one of eight regional fishery management councils tasked with developing management plans to govern fishing activity in U.S. waters. [...]

Two CONCUR Projects Move Toward Implementation: Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement and Southern California MPAs

We at CONCUR like to take on key roles in controversial large-scale, high stakes projects and programs, helping parties find a viable “solution space” and moving projects towards implementation. In December, two projects where we did just that hit major milestones. One involves what will be the largest deep bore tunnel in the world to [...]

Update on Adaptive Management for the Guadalupe River Flood Control Project

The Guadalupe River Flood Control Project has a prior history of collaboration, which culminated in its redesign from a trapezoidal channel bypass tunnel and successful construction of the project, along with a suite of early implementation items to mitigate remaining impacts on the river corridor. Its 2001 Dispute Resolution Memorandum, facilitated by CONCUR, created an [...]

False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Reaches Unanimous Consensus on a Draft Take Reduction Plan (July 2010)

The False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team – a diverse group that includes the Hawai‘i longline fishing community, conservation organizations, researchers and government agencies – reached a unanimous consensus agreement on a Draft Take Reduction Plan to reduce false killer whale bycatch in the Hawai‘i-based longline fleet. The consensus Draft Plan, formally submitted on Monday, July [...]

Peer-Reviewed Article on Marine Protected Areas Published in “Ocean & Coastal Management” Journal

CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary co-authored an article with Marine Life Protection Act Initiative colleagues entitled “Science-based and stakeholder-driven marine protected area network planning: A successful case study from north central California“, published in the current issue of Ocean & Coastal Management [53 (2010) 52-68]. Former CONCUR intern Kathryn Hoffman was a key co-author. In documenting [...]

Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) – BRTF Unanimously Adopts South Coast Region MPA Proposal (November 2009)

On November 12, 2009, the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) unanimously (5 – 0) adopted a preferred marine protected area (MPA) proposal for the south coast study region, which includes 27 state marine reserves (SMRs), 1 state marine park (SMP) and 16 state marine conservation areas (SMCAs); this recommended proposal is referred to as [...]

Strategic Planning for NSF EPSCoR Initiatives in South Dakota and Mississippi (Fall 2009)

CONCUR has been retained to support strategic planning for Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) projects funded by the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) in both South Dakota and Mississippi. The RII projects in these two states are in the beginning phases and are intended to fund activities in eligible states to [...]

New CONCUR Fact Sheet on Watershed Planning

CONCUR has prepared a new fact sheet focused on our watershed planning experience and expertise (download PDF). Watershed planning touches on a broad range of issues including local land use policies, stream protection concerns, restoration goals, flood control, and water quality. The planning framework can be transboundary and address implications for climate change adaptation, or [...]

Marine Protected Areas on California’s North Central Coast (August 2009)

On August 5, 2009, the California Fish & Game Commission voted to place roughly 20 percent of the state’s north central coastal waters (or approximately 153 square miles) into 21 marine protected areas (MPAs) and 3 marine recreational management areas. The designated waters (map below) were identified through a CONCUR-facilitated multi-stakeholder process (DFG project home [...]