INTRO

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary uses an integrated approach to manage and protect its natural resources. Research provides the information needed for making decisions regarding the resources. It creates the baseline data sets with which to assess changing conditions in the sanctuary. Education and Outreach are the conduits for the flow of information between the staff and the public. They provide the sanctuary a means to share the lessons learned from the research and collect information from sanctuary users to be considered during policy development. Resource Protection involves the implementation of specific protective measures based on information gathered through research, education and outreach. None of these activities would be effective without the many valuable partnerships between the sanctuary, other government agencies and the private sector.

MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW

The National Marine Sanctuary program is required by law to periodically review sanctuary managment plans, most of which date back to their original designation dates and have not been updated. The management plan for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is currently about 15 years old, dating back to its designation in 1992.

In September 2006, the sanctuary officially embarked on its first Management Plan Review (MPR), a public process that allows the sanctuary to revisit the original designation documents and plan for the future.

What is a sanctuary management plan?

A sanctuary management plan is a site-specific planning and management document that describes the objectives, policies and activities for a sanctuary. Management plans generally outline regulatory goals, and describe boundaries, research and education programs. They also guide the development of future management activities.

Download the original 1991 Flower Garden Banks Final Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (9.6MB pdf)

Why is it being updated?
The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) reviews sanctuary management plans to ensure that sanctuary sites continue to best conserve, protect and enhance their nationally significant living and cultural resources. Recent scientific discoveries, advancements in managing marine resources and new resource management issues may not be addressed in existing plans.

To learn more about this process, visit the Management Plan Review page of this website.