Gulf of Mexico Conservation Vision
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
The Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation is formed between 30 conservation organizations in an effort to improve conservation in the region, especially in light of the 2010 oil spill.
Effective cooperation with landowners was essential to the project, considering that 86% of the region was privately owned at the time it was published. In addition to mapping the priority conservation areas within the study area, the report details specific conservation challenges facing each state.
The priority areas were defined by the stakeholders incorporated onto the Partnership, and included five main priorities: wetlands, migratory bird habitat, scenic rivers, longleaf pine, and those areas previously listed on the member organization's agendas as priority areas.
Year Published: 2014
State: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
Landscape Context: Coastal
Housing Density: Urban, Suburban, Rural
Funding Type: Both (Public and Private)
Habitat Focus: Water, Wetlands
Organizations Involved:
Land Trust Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation, The Conservation Fund
Values:
Water Quality, Floodplains/Flood Prevention, Open Space/Habitat, Recreation, Viewshed, Biodiversity
Stakeholder Involvement:
Stakeholders were informed; as mentioned previously, 30 conservation organizations joined the Partnership and participated in this project. No community outreach efforts were mentioned.
Planning Process:
Using assistance from TNC, LTA, and TCF, the Partnership began by identifying habitats and ecosystem services that were priorities for conservation. Priority conservation areas were then identified based on this research and local stakeholder knowledge. The spatial analysis of the region also took into the account the land of each state relevant to the RESTORE Act, which will be used to implement conservation strategies.
Desired Outcomes:
The projects aims to create a consensus for conservation goals within the region, develop a long-term strategy for those conservation efforts, incorporate funding sources created for the purpose of the ecological recovery of the region following the oil spill in 2010, and to create a resources for land use decision-makers.