Protecting Habitat Through State Programs: NOAA's Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program

NOAA’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) was created to protect lands with significant ecological, conservation, recreational, historic and aesthetic values within coastal areas.  To identify lands that reflect these values, participating states and territories develop conservation plans that identify the priority lands and values within the state or territory to be protected through the program, the geographic scope for their efforts (e.g. within their coastal watersheds, or a smaller area), and, wherever possible, the areas where those priority lands can be found on the landscape.  This presentation will discuss the approach used by many states in developing their plans (including a “green infrastructure” approach), as well as the kinds of lands and habitats they identify that support fisheries and protected species.