CHPPs Public Hearings Scheduled

The draft North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) is now available for public review and discussion. This CHPP has been developed by the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with input and approval from the three state commissions that regulate water quality, coastal resources and marine fisheries, along with public input. The goal of the CHPP is to enhance the coastal fisheries associated with six important fish habitats: water column, shell bottom, submerged aquatic vegetation, wetlands, soft bottom, and hard bottom. The draft CHPP identifies those habitats, including their functions, distribution, status, and trends; describes present and future threats to the habitats; and provides recommendations to address the threats.

A series of 10 public meetings will take place between July 13th and August 4th, to hear what individuals and groups think about this plan. Citizens are encouraged to actively participate in reviewing these recommendations and provide feedback. Visit http://www.ncdmf.net/ to learn more about the CHPP, the meeting schedule or to download a copy of the report. Questions and comments can be directed to chpps@ncmail.net or by calling (252) 726-7021 or 800-682-2632.

After this public review period, the CHPP will be presented in September 2004 to the Coastal Resources, Environmental Management, and Marine Fisheries commissions. Once adopted by the commissions in December 2004, the plan will help ensure coordinated coastal habitat protection strategies and consistent actions among these commissions and their supporting DENR agencies.