Archives by Tag 'joint fact-finding'

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, [...]

False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team (2009-Present)

In Fall 2009, CONCUR was asked to help the NOAA/NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) prepare for and convene the pre-meeting of the False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team meeting held November 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii. CONCUR’s work on this effort focused on several key tasks: (1) providing strategic planning advice to PIRO; [...]

Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan Final Rule Amendment published

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has published a final rule to amend the regulations implementing the Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan (weblink). The final rule, whose measures become effective in March 2010, addresses the increased incidental mortality and serious injury of the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy stock of harbor porpoises in gillnet fisheries [...]

Abalone Advisory Group (AAG) Releases Report: “Management Options for a Potential Red Abalone Fishery on San Miguel Island”

A novel collaborative process designed and led by CONCUR to develop a range of management options for a potential red abalone fishery reached a major milestone on February 16, 2010, when the Marine Resources Committee (MRC) of the California Fish and Game Commission met to discuss the newly-released report.
The report – entitled “Management Options for [...]

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 [...]

“Conflict Resolution Day” Presentation at EPA Region 2

CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary and Senior Associate Bennett Brooks gave a presentation October 15, 2009, to attorneys and program staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2, the regional office covering New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The presentation, organized by Region 2 ADR coordinator Joseph Siegel 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 [...]

CONCUR Op-Ed on Climate Change Published in the Sacramento Bee, August 16, 2009

On Sunday August 16, The Sacramento Bee published an Op-Ed piece by CONCUR Principals John Gamman and Scott McCreary that puts forward a strategy for preventing solar, wind energy and other climate change-focused projects from getting mired in avoidable conflicts. The piece offers an assessment of the source of the potential conflicts and then [...]

Guest Lecture at MBARI - July 8, 2009

On July 8, 2009, CONCUR Principal Scott McCreary presented a guest lecture to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) entitled “Mediated Negotiation and Joint Fact-Finding: Can They Help Propel Wise Marine Policy Decisions?” About 30 researchers in fields ranging from marine biology to marine technology attended the talk. Scott addressed the application of joint [...]