An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Farm Bill Conservation ProgramsCongress has enacted Farm Bills since the 1920s.Since 1985, the laws, passed approximately every fiveyears, have included an increasing conservationfocus. The programs, administered primarily by theUSDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, providefarmers and ranchers incentives to implementconservation actions and disincentives against takingactions that harm natural resources. Programs createdand modified in the conservation titles of the1985, 1990, 1996, and 2002 Farm Bills encouragecompliance with minimum conservation practices,promote land retirement, and create incentives forimproved farming and ranching practices to addressenvironmental problems. Additional Farm Bill programsaffecting natural resource protection includethose that prevent conversion of farmland and grasslandto urban uses, and a variety of programs thatencourage watershed protection efforts. The 2002Farm Bill raised anticipated spending for conservationand environmental programs over ten years to$38.6 billion. While funding to all programsincreased, the 2002 bill shifted the funding emphasisfrom land retirement to conservation efforts onworking lands.Web: .See Section 3 (Federal Laws): Farm Bill 1985, 1990,1996, 2002.National Estuarine ResearchReserve SystemEstablished by the Coastal Zone Management Act in1972, the program encourages coastal states and territoriesto set aside representative estuaries for longtermresearch, education, and stewardship purposes.Once an area is designated as a reserve, federal financialassistance is available for acquisition of property,and management, research, and education activities.NOAA is responsible for overseeing state managementof the twenty-six reserves.Web: .See Section 3 (Federal Laws): Coastal ZoneManagement Act.National Flood Insurance ProgramIn 1968, Congress enacted the National FloodInsurance Program (NFIP), administered by FEMA.The NFIP maps flood-prone regions throughout thenation. Communities that voluntarily adopt NFIPbuilding standards and land use controls intended tominimize flood damages and property losses in thoseareas make their residents and businesses eligible forguaranteed flood insurance coverage. About 19,000communities participate in the program.Web: .National Marine Sanctuary ProgramNOAA administers the National Marine SanctuaryProgram, created by Title III of the MarineProtection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.The Act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce todesignate discrete areas of the marine environment asnational marine sanctuaries to protect distinctivenatural and cultural resources. There are currentlythirteen national marine sanctuaries in the program.Web: .See Section 3 (Federal Laws): Marine Protection,Research, and Sanctuaries Act.National OceanographicPartnership ProgramThe National Oceanographic Partnership Program(NOPP) promotes and funds research partnershipsamong federal agencies, academia, industry, andother members of the oceanographic scientific communityto further ocean knowledge. Among NOPPprograms is Ocean.US, which coordinates the developmentof the Integrated Ocean Observing System.NOPP is governed by the National Ocean ResearchLeadership Council.Web: .See Section 2 (Federal Commissions, Committees, andCouncils): National Ocean Research Leadership Council.See also Section 3 (Federal Laws): NationalOceanographic Partnership Act.D 18A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY