Archives by Tag 'biodiversity'

False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Reaches Unanimous Consensus on a Draft Take Reduction Plan

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 19, [...]

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 [...]

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

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

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 [...]

Marine Protected Areas on California’s North Central Coast

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 [...]

California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative South Coast Study Region (2008 – present)

CONCUR is the lead facilitator for the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative’s Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG) in its Southern California Study Region.  The MLPA provides that California will establish a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2011.  The MLPA pays particular attention to protecting representative examples of important habitats and ensuring that [...]

Carpe Diem - Western Water & Climate Change (2007-present)

CONCUR provided strategic planning advice to the kick off meeting of the Carpe Diem - Western Water & Climate Change project. The project is an alliance of experts and decision makers committed to addressing the unprecedented challenge of climate change impacts on western water resources. By linking leaders and incubating new initiatives and [...]

Guadalupe River Flood Control Project: Adaptive Management Team update (April 2009)

As part of the agreement mediated for the Guadalupe River Flood Control Project, parties formed an Adaptive Management Team, which commits to meet annually to review the results and effectiveness of mitigation measures implemented to date.
This year, on April 29th and 30th CONCUR Associate Rebecca Bryson facilitated the meeting. Parties included the SCVWD, the Guadalupe-Coyote [...]

California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative - North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (2006-2007)

CONCUR helped to facilitate this second phase of the California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative in 2006-2007. In completing their work, the North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (NCCRSG) worked closely with two other bodies - a Blue Ribbon Task Force of senior policy advisors and a Science Advisory Team - to inform the decisions [...]