The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) Seeks Public Comment Regarding Updates to CCMP
The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) Seeks Public Comment Regarding Updates to Their Five-Year Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)
Mobile, AL: The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBENP) has released to the public the Draft Update of their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for 2019-2023 for a 45-day comment period.
Developed by over 300 community leaders, this CCMP update will be the roadmap for protecting and restoring what people value most about living in coastal Alabama over the next 4 years. The final document will be implemented by the MBNEP Management Conference including federal, state and local officials and agencies, industries, businesses, academia, and citizen groups.
A pdf file is available for viewing and downloading on the MBNEP webpage at
A pdf file is available for viewing and downloading on the MBNEP webpage, CCMP Draft. Comments are solicited and should be directed to Bethany Dickey at bdickey@mobilebaynep.com by close of business on Monday, March 18, 2019.
In August 2018, the MBNEP hosted a day-long workshop at the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center to gather input from 178 community leaders and key stakeholders to provide the framework to update Respect the Connect – A Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Alabama’s Estuaries and Coast 2013-2018. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, who administer and funds the MBNEP, requires that the CCMP be updated every five years.
The MBNEP, like the other 27 National Estuary Programs, operates through the development and implementation of a CCMP, which serves as a “blueprint” for management of coastal and estuarine resources. A CCMP is developed based on local input and supporting local priorities to protect water quality, sustain living resources, manage coastal habitats, reduce human impacts, and build citizen stewardship. It is developed through a consensus-building and collaborative decision-making process by the MBNEP Management Conference. Conference partners commit to roles implementing CCMP goals, objectives, and recommended activities to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of Mobile Bay and its watersheds.
Through community engagement efforts, MBNEP identified six values of shared importance to our coastal quality of life: Access; Beaches, Dunes, and Shorelines; Fish and Wildlife; Heritage and Culture; Resilience; and Water Quality. The goals and objectives of the CCMP are directed to ensure attention to what people value about living in coastal Alabama. This comment period provides an additional opportunity to have your concerns addressed moving forward for the next five years.
The mission of the MBNEP is to provide the tools and support community-based efforts to promote the wise stewardship of the quality and living resources of Alabama’s estuarine waters and coasts.
