U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Celebrates 25 Years of the Coastal Program
More than 87,000 acres protected, restored or enhanced in Pacific Region
The U.S. Fish Wildlife Service's Coastal Program is celebrating its 25th year of conserving coastal wetlands and habitats for fish and wildlife across the country. This remarkable program received the Restoration Partnership Award today at the Restore America's Estuaries Conference, which recognizes an individual or group who has demonstrated their dedication, commitment and passion for estuary habitat restoration.
"The Coastal Program is a shining example of how people from all different sectors can work together to accomplish remarkable conservation achievements," said Acting Fish and Wildlife Service Director Rowan Gould. "This voluntary, cooperative program has conserved some of our nation's most imperiled estuaries, wetlands and coastal habitats for current and future generations to enjoy."
The Service's first Coastal Program began in 1985 in Chesapeake Bay. There are now 23 Coastal Program offices throughout the United States including the Great Lakes and the U.S. Commonwealths and Territories, dedicated to protecting, restoring and conserving coastal areas. The Coastal Program has proven that a voluntary approach to coastal habitat conservation can be effective. By providing technical assistance, funding and other resources to partners including federal, state and local agencies, and private landowners, the program has restored 251,000 acres of coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat, permanently protected nearly 2 million acres of coastal habitat, and restored 1,700 miles of riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian and in-stream habitat. These coastal wetlands provide for improved water quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and vital habitat for plants, fish and wildlife.
In the Service's Pacific Region, 34,306 acres of coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat have been permanently protected and 52,822 acres have been restored, enhanced or established in the three Pacific Region states and territories with coastlines: Washington (50,946 acres), Hawaii and the Pacific Islands (34,213), and Oregon (2,069), which has the newest program in the region.
Partnership projects in the region have ranged from an effort in Washington to remove derelict fishing gear to a fencing project in Hawaii to protect the Laysan albatross, endangered monk seals and other species, to an Oregon project to restore habitat for the threatened western snowy plover.
"We are proud of the accomplishments we and our partners have achieved and we look forward to many more projects in the future," said Robyn Thorson, Pacific Regional Director.
In Washington, one very successful project is the derelict fishing gear removal effort undertaken through the Puget Sound Coastal Program. Over the past six years, the program has recovered 3,600 partial gillnets, averaging 7,000 square feet each, which has eliminated the needless deaths of more than 1.1 million marine mammals, fish, birds and invertebrates each year.
In Hawaii, the Service's Coastal Program is partnering with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii chapter of the Wildlife Society to construct a predator-proof fence in the Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve on Oahu. The fence will keep out predators such as cats, dogs, mongooses, rats and mice so that native species like the Laysan albatross, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and 11 endangered plant species can flourish again.
In Oregon, the Service's Coastal Program is working with the South Coast Watersheds Council and others, including three private landowners, to restore coastal dune habitat on the Elk River Spit in southern Oregon. About 23 acres have been cleared of non-native European beach grass to create nesting and wintering habitat for the western snowy plover, with a total of 30 acres planned for restoration. Pink sand verbena, a native plant crowded out by beach grass, is being re-introduced to the area.
Despite the numerous gains made in conserving coastal habitat by the Coastal Program and other similar voluntary, incentive-based programs, threats to coastal ecosystems have become even more challenging.
Climate change poses numerous and complex threats to coastal wetlands and the fish and wildlife they support throughout the United States, including sea level rise, more invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , and increases in ocean temperatures and acidity. In addition, scientists predict increased flooding of populated coastal areas and further decreases in water quality, changes that will severely impact not only fish and wildlife species, but humans as well. Given the magnitude of these threats, there is now more than ever a strong need for public-private partnerships to protect and restore coastal wetland habitats.
To learn more about the Service's Coastal Program and to find an office near you, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/contactUs.html.
Please visit the Services Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/usfws to join the discussion on the Coastal Program's 25th anniversary. In addition, we have posted a video on our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and have numerous photos of coastal areas available on our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.
Coastal Program Factoids
Coastal areas provide vital habitat to fish and wildlife, protect shorelines from erosion and pollution, and provide recreational opportunities for boaters, anglers and wildlife watchers.
America's rich and productive coastal regions and waters support tens of millions of jobs and account for the great majority of the national economy, totaling trillions of dollars each year.
Coastal ecosystems comprise about 10 percent of the Nation's land area, and support far greater proportions of our living resources.
Coastal habitats provide habitat for 40% of all federally threatened and endangered species, including 75% of all federally protected mammals and birds.
Coastal areas support 30% of the nation's waterfowl with important wintering habitat.
More than 50% of wetlands in the U.S. have been destroyed in just the last 200 years.
About one-fifth (20%) of the world's marine coastal areas have been destroyed or degraded by humans.
Of all marine habitats, those that are most threatened are in coastal waters, where 90% of the world's marine catch come from.
The very first U.S Fish and Wildlife Service coastal program began in the Chesapeake Bay in 1985. Today, there are 23 offices across the country, including the Great Lakes, Pacific Islands and Caribbean.
Biologists in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program offices focus their efforts on high priority coastal habitat protection and restoration. This includes marine ecosystems, bays, estuaries, coastal streams, and terrestrial habitat in coastal watersheds.
The Coastal Program provides incentives for voluntary protection of threatened, endangered and other species on private and public lands alike. The program's protection and restoration successes to date give hope that, through the cooperative efforts of many public and private partners, adequate coastal habitat for fish and wildlife will exist for future generations.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program restored 251, 000 acres of coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program permanently protected nearly 2 million acres of coastal habitat.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program restored 1,700 miles of riparian and in-stream habitat.
$167 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds went to coastal and marine habitat restoration - providing economic benefits to local and regional economies.
The U.S. Fish Wildlife Service's Coastal Program is celebrating its 25th year of conserving coastal wetlands and habitats for fish and wildlife across the country. This remarkable program received the Restoration Partnership Award today at the Restore America's Estuaries Conference, which recognizes an individual or group who has demonstrated their dedication, commitment and passion for estuary habitat restoration.
"The Coastal Program is a shining example of how people from all different sectors can work together to accomplish remarkable conservation achievements," said Acting Fish and Wildlife Service Director Rowan Gould. "This voluntary, cooperative program has conserved some of our nation's most imperiled estuaries, wetlands and coastal habitats for current and future generations to enjoy."
The Service's first Coastal Program began in 1985 in Chesapeake Bay. There are now 23 Coastal Program offices throughout the United States including the Great Lakes and the U.S. Commonwealths and Territories, dedicated to protecting, restoring and conserving coastal areas. The Coastal Program has proven that a voluntary approach to coastal habitat conservation can be effective. By providing technical assistance, funding and other resources to partners including federal, state and local agencies, and private landowners, the program has restored 251,000 acres of coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat, permanently protected nearly 2 million acres of coastal habitat, and restored 1,700 miles of riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian and in-stream habitat. These coastal wetlands provide for improved water quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and vital habitat for plants, fish and wildlife.
In the Service's Pacific Region, 34,306 acres of coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat have been permanently protected and 52,822 acres have been restored, enhanced or established in the three Pacific Region states and territories with coastlines: Washington (50,946 acres), Hawaii and the Pacific Islands (34,213), and Oregon (2,069), which has the newest program in the region.
Partnership projects in the region have ranged from an effort in Washington to remove derelict fishing gear to a fencing project in Hawaii to protect the Laysan albatross, endangered monk seals and other species, to an Oregon project to restore habitat for the threatened western snowy plover.
"We are proud of the accomplishments we and our partners have achieved and we look forward to many more projects in the future," said Robyn Thorson, Pacific Regional Director.
In Washington, one very successful project is the derelict fishing gear removal effort undertaken through the Puget Sound Coastal Program. Over the past six years, the program has recovered 3,600 partial gillnets, averaging 7,000 square feet each, which has eliminated the needless deaths of more than 1.1 million marine mammals, fish, birds and invertebrates each year.
In Hawaii, the Service's Coastal Program is partnering with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii chapter of the Wildlife Society to construct a predator-proof fence in the Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve on Oahu. The fence will keep out predators such as cats, dogs, mongooses, rats and mice so that native species like the Laysan albatross, the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and 11 endangered plant species can flourish again.
In Oregon, the Service's Coastal Program is working with the South Coast Watersheds Council and others, including three private landowners, to restore coastal dune habitat on the Elk River Spit in southern Oregon. About 23 acres have been cleared of non-native European beach grass to create nesting and wintering habitat for the western snowy plover, with a total of 30 acres planned for restoration. Pink sand verbena, a native plant crowded out by beach grass, is being re-introduced to the area.
Despite the numerous gains made in conserving coastal habitat by the Coastal Program and other similar voluntary, incentive-based programs, threats to coastal ecosystems have become even more challenging.
Climate change poses numerous and complex threats to coastal wetlands and the fish and wildlife they support throughout the United States, including sea level rise, more invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , and increases in ocean temperatures and acidity. In addition, scientists predict increased flooding of populated coastal areas and further decreases in water quality, changes that will severely impact not only fish and wildlife species, but humans as well. Given the magnitude of these threats, there is now more than ever a strong need for public-private partnerships to protect and restore coastal wetland habitats.
To learn more about the Service's Coastal Program and to find an office near you, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/contactUs.html.
Please visit the Services Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/usfws to join the discussion on the Coastal Program's 25th anniversary. In addition, we have posted a video on our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and have numerous photos of coastal areas available on our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.
Coastal Program Factoids
Coastal areas provide vital habitat to fish and wildlife, protect shorelines from erosion and pollution, and provide recreational opportunities for boaters, anglers and wildlife watchers.
America's rich and productive coastal regions and waters support tens of millions of jobs and account for the great majority of the national economy, totaling trillions of dollars each year.
Coastal ecosystems comprise about 10 percent of the Nation's land area, and support far greater proportions of our living resources.
Coastal habitats provide habitat for 40% of all federally threatened and endangered species, including 75% of all federally protected mammals and birds.
Coastal areas support 30% of the nation's waterfowl with important wintering habitat.
More than 50% of wetlands in the U.S. have been destroyed in just the last 200 years.
About one-fifth (20%) of the world's marine coastal areas have been destroyed or degraded by humans.
Of all marine habitats, those that are most threatened are in coastal waters, where 90% of the world's marine catch come from.
The very first U.S Fish and Wildlife Service coastal program began in the Chesapeake Bay in 1985. Today, there are 23 offices across the country, including the Great Lakes, Pacific Islands and Caribbean.
Biologists in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program offices focus their efforts on high priority coastal habitat protection and restoration. This includes marine ecosystems, bays, estuaries, coastal streams, and terrestrial habitat in coastal watersheds.
The Coastal Program provides incentives for voluntary protection of threatened, endangered and other species on private and public lands alike. The program's protection and restoration successes to date give hope that, through the cooperative efforts of many public and private partners, adequate coastal habitat for fish and wildlife will exist for future generations.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program restored 251, 000 acres of coastal wetlands and coastal upland habitat.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program permanently protected nearly 2 million acres of coastal habitat.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program restored 1,700 miles of riparian and in-stream habitat.
$167 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds went to coastal and marine habitat restoration - providing economic benefits to local and regional economies.
