The Coastal Resources Center (CRC) is continuing to work with boating industry partners. This includes the Marine Manufacturers Association of America (MOAA), Boat/U.S., American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA), and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). It includes, as well, working with the national network of Sea Grant programs and the National Sea Grant Office to explore whether Sea Grant can meet the challenge of providing information, policy recommendations and outreach expertise to address a specific need of this major coastal users group (boating). Specifically, CRC is:
Revising and finalizing a draft white paper that includes input from the network of Sea Grant College Programs, Boat/U.S., State Organizations for Boating Access, ABBRA, NMMA, MOAA, and other boating groups.
Preparing a series of case studies that illustrate the dredging problem for the boating industry and gives examples of creative solutions that have been applied in coordination with Sea Grant programs.
Working with the Sea Grant Network to conduct State and regional workshops in partnership with local marine trades associations to assess the dredging needs in each region: Gulf Coast, South Atlantic, Pacific, Northeast, and Great Lakes. The purposes of these workshops are to:
Inform regional constituencies about the dredging initiative
Collect information about regional dredging needs
Add information to the white paper and case studies and
Gather ideas and input for the national roundtables
Assisting the National Sea Grant Office in hosting two federal agency and industry round-table discussions with 10-15 individuals representing key agencies and organizations that can affect or influence dredging. These roundtables would: a) Review and augment the white paper and case studies for the dredging of recreational waterways; b) Compile and consolidate successful dredging strategies developed by other public and private organizations and agencies, to be used as models; and c) Define key questions/research topics that need to be answered where informational gaps exist.
Exploring the possibility of a national NOAA budget initiative supported by the major marine trades associations and the Sea Grant College Network focussing on this issue and demonstrating the value-added of NOAA and Sea Grant to this important coastal user group.
Assisting in the facilitation of a national workshop hosted by MOAA, Boat/U.S., NMMA, and ABBRA. Workshop participants would be drawn from public and private sectors that could contribute to help achieving the national workshop goals of:
Widening the consensus and commitment to an action strategy
Elevating recreational dredging on the national and regional agenda
Increasing public investments in recreational dredging
Identifying testing burdens and obstacles and
Incorporating “green” recreational dredging approaches into guidelines and requirements for eco-friendly BMPs for marina operations.