PURPO8E8

JOBANERR is to be operated on a permanent basis in a manner consistent with Section 315 of the CZMA, the Mission and Goals of the PROGRAM for the purpose of attaining the Objectives of JOBANERR, as specified below and in JOBANERR Management Plan by NOAA. 214 A. Mission and Goals of the PROGRAM 1. The Mission is the establishment and management, through Federal/Commonwealth cooperation, of a permanent national system of estuarine research reserves, representative of the various regions and estuarine types in the United States, in order to promote wise use of the estuarine resources, and to provide appropriate opportunities for long-term research, education, and interpretation. 2. The Goals for carrying out the Mission are: 3. Ensure a stable environment for research through long-term protection of estuarine reserve resources; b. Address coastal management issues identified as significant through coordinated estuarine research within the National Estuarine Reserve Research System (NERRS) ; C. Enhance public awareness and understanding of the estuarine environment and provide suitable opportunities for public education and interpretation; d. Promote Federal, state and public and private use of one or more reserves within the NERRS when such entities conduct estuarine research; and e. Conduct and coordinate estuarine research within the NERRS, gathering and making available information necessary for improved understanding and management of estuarine areas. B. Objectives of the JOBANERR 1. Monitoring and Research a. To gain a better understanding of the ecological relationships within the estuarine environment through a coordinated program of baseline studies and related ecological research; b. To identify significant changes that may occur in the estuarine environment; C. To assess the effects of human activities on the ecosystem and to forecast or mitigate the potential environmental deterioration caused by such human activities; 215 2. Education a. To promote better understanding of the ecological relationships within the estuarine environment through a broad range of educational programs; b. To increase public awareness of the problems that may be generated by human mis-use of the environment; and C. To foster a higher level of commitment toward solving some of the specific problems of JOBANERR. d. To encourage educational and interpretative activities that will help the public to understand and appreciate the estuarine environment. 3. Resource Protection a. To protect the fragile or rare resources of JOBANERR; b. To preserve cultural natural resources, including archaeological sites; C. To balance the demands imposed on the resources by various activities that will determine the types and levels of uses that are consistent with protecting the estuarine environment for the education, enjoyment, and utilization of future generations. 4. Resource Utilization To provide, to the degree compatible with JOBANERR'S overall purpose and the JOBANERR Management Plan and consistent with the Mission and Goals of the Program, for traditional resource uses (such as fishing, shellfishing, and hunting) at levels which sustain stable and healthy populations. 216