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Virginia Ocean Planning Development:�OA Workshop

Will Isenberg – September 11, 2024

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

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Why an �Ocean Plan?�

  • Communicate

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  • Coordinate

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  • Identify Needs

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Draft Virginia Ocean Plan Goals

  1. Promote a sustainable and growing "blue economy".
  2. Document and characterize existing/emerging ocean uses and the existing policies/plans that relate to them.
  3. Minimize/mitigate conflicts between existing and emerging ocean uses, and minimize/mitigate impacts to ocean habitat, marine life, and ecosystem functions.
  4. Increase resilience of ocean uses, ocean habitat, and marine life to a changing ocean.
  5. Develop processes for plan implementation, plan maintenance/updates, ongoing stakeholder collaboration, and conflict resolution.

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Assessing Ocean Risks and Vulnerabilities

  • Initially focused on state authorities

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  • Expanded to bottom-up stakeholder approach

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  • Goal – identify priorities from a community of experts

2022

    • Ocean Plan Outline Development

2023

    • Stakeholder Engagement

2024

    • Workgroup and Steering Committee Process

2025

    • Plan Drafting and Review

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Initial �Focus �Area

5

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Information for Planning

  • MARCO Data Portal

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  • Discussions with experts and ocean users

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  • Scientific and legal literature

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Planning for Change

  • High level planning

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  • Adapting to ocean changes is a need

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  • Importance of communicating changes and need for action

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Questions?

Will Isenberg

Coastal Planner

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

William.Isenberg@DEQ.Virginia.gov