MANAGEMENT ACTIONS Management Action 1:
Enhance the ability of state and federal agencies to enforce existing wetlands regulations by 1995.
Management Action 2:
Strengthen regulatory programs to protect vital fisheries habitats, which include submerged aquatic vegetation, shellfish beds, and spawning areas by 1995.
Management Action 3:
Enhance existing efforts to restore the functions and values of degraded wetlands and vital fisheries habitats. Develop and begin implementing an expanded program to restore wetlands.
Management Action 4:
Establish by 1995 a consistent and effective mitigation program to compensate for unavoidable permitted wetlands losses.
Object C:
Maintain, Restore, and Enhance Vital Habitat Functions to Ensure the Survival of
Wildlife
and Fisheries.
Strategy: Better coordination among public agencies including the Division of Parks and Recreation (DPR), the Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), the Division of Coastal Management (DCM), and the Division of Forest Resources (DFR), along with priority-setting objectives included in basinwide ecosystem plans, would improve the effectiveness of future restoration and enhancement projects. Attempts at protecting a region's vital fisheries, rare species habitat, rare or representative natural communities, and other vital wildlife habitat would be directed to where it is most needed and cost-effective. Protection of fisheries habitats, including submerged aquatic vegetation, shellfish beds, and spawning areas, would be modeled after existing protection given to nurseries. Efforts to develop effective restoration and protection technologies would continue. The Wetlands Enhancement, Restoration and Creation (WERC) program sets priorities for type- and site-specific wetlands restoration projects and would help focus the highest level of protection on those wetlands most vital to water quality and habitat. The feasibility of a mitigation bank and other mechanisms for coordinating and consolidating mitigation efforts would be evaluated.