Stellwagen Bank Final EIS and Management Plan 



Page 87 



Section IV. Administration 



A. Administrative Framework 



This section of the management plan describes 

 the roles of various agencies that will be involved in 

 Sanctuary management; proposes strategies to 

 coordinate their activities; and provides for periodic 

 evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the 

 management plan. As previously discussed, 

 Siuictuary management consists of three basic 

 functions: resource protection, research, and 

 education/interpretation. Administration oversees 

 all other functions and establishes who is 

 responsible for implementing specific programs. 

 The administrative framework ensures that all 

 management activities are coordinated. 



The Sanctuaries and Reserves Division (SRD) 

 is responsible for the overall management of the 

 Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 

 (SBNMS). SRD will coordinate its on-site activities 

 through cooperative agreements with the 

 Commonwealth, regional, local and other Federal 

 agencies. The general administrative roles of each 

 agency are described below. 



1. Sanctuaries and Reserves Division 



The National Marine Sanctuary Program is 

 administered by SRD. A site-specific management 

 plan is prepared for each individual Sanctuary to 

 ensure that on-site activities involving resource 

 protection, research, and education/interpretation 

 are coordinated and are consistent with Sanctuary 

 goals and objectives. 



SRD develops a general budget, setting out 

 expenditures for program development, operating 

 costs, and staffing. Funding priorities will be 

 reviewed and adjusted annually to reflect evolving 

 conditions in the SBNMS and National Marine 

 Sanctuary Program priorities and requirements. 

 SRD also establishes policies and procedures in 

 response to specific issues in each Sanctuary. 

 Detailed SRD responsibihties are listed under the 

 resource protection, research, education/ 

 interpretation, and general administration sections 

 which follow. 



The Sanctuary Manager for the SBNMS 

 reports directly to the Atlantic and Great Lakes 

 Regional Manager at SRD. In this capacity, the 

 Manager represents SRD and is the primary 

 spokesperson for the SBNMS. The Sanctuary's 

 headquarters will be located at a site which provides 

 access both to the visiting pubUc and to the 

 Sanctuary. The town of Plymouth has been selected 

 for the location of the SBNMS headquarters office; 

 additional "satellite" information centers will be 

 estabUshed following the designation of the 

 Sanctuary. 



2. National Marine Fisheries Service. 

 Northeast Region 



The National Marine Fisheries Service 

 (NMFS), within NOAA, has a variety of missions 

 which are directly involved with Sanctuary resources. 

 In general, these include implementation of the 

 various Fishery Management Plans; and 

 implementation of the provisions of the Marine 

 Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species 

 Act. (Further discussion of NMFS roles is presented 

 m Part Three, Section I: Status Quo Alternative.) 

 NMFS offices are located in Gloucester and in 

 Woods Hole. 



3. U.S. Coast Guard 



The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for 

 enforcement of Federal laws in waters under U.S. 

 jurisdiction, including those related to vessel traffic 

 and search and rescue activities. (See further 

 discussion in Part Three, Section I: Status Quo 

 Alternative.) The First Coast Guard District office 

 is located in Boston; Coast Guard stations are 

 located at Boston Harbor, Gloucester, Scituate, 

 Sandwich, Merrimack River, Provincetown, Cape 

 Cod Air Station (at Otis Air Force Base), and 

 Woods Hole. _ . 



4. Sanctuary Advisory Committee 



The National Marine Sanctuary Program differs 

 from many other special area management 

 programs, in that Sanctuaries are managed to 

 enhance research and education/interpretation, as 

 well as to ensure the primary goal of overall 

 resource protection. Several agencies. 



