IRLNews:IRL Roundtable Receives KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Initial Release
Kennedy Space Center Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Purpose
KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan Introduction
The KSC Environmental Management Branch introduces the KSC IRL Health Initiative Plan as follows:
"The Kennedy Space Center Health Initiative Plan was created by the NASA Environmental and Medical Contract (NEMCON) subject matter experts based on guidance of regulatory and management needs identified by NASA KSC EMB and EAB, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR), Canaveral National Seashore (CNS), and other stakeholders. The focus of this plan is to improve the understanding of water quality, habitat quality, living resources issues, and restoration needs of the IRL in order to meet NASA KSC’s objective of responsible stewardship, while being responsive to regional IRL metrics, and regulatory and management needs, identified by NASA and other stakeholders. Each of the proposed projects in this plan is linked to a vital sign in the IRL National Estuary Program’s (IRLNEP’s) Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The IRLNEP CCMP was defined by IRLNEP committee members from the Management Committee and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Modeling Advisory Committee, of which NASA KSC, MINWR, and CNS are active members. These vital signs, approved by the IRLNEP Board of Directors, define current and potential issues, and propose future goals and actions that will contribute to stewardship, restoration, and health of the IRL."
"This plan presents a compilation of prospective projects that address different aspects of lagoon health including water quality, habitat quality, living resources, and restoration. It has been designed as a tool to be used by NASA EMB, NASA EAB, MINWR, CNS, and stakeholders to select projects that will support management objectives of responsible stewardship and improved IRL health. These proposed projects are not currently funded and will be pursued as funding permits."
"The prospective projects are organized into the following categories:
- Monitoring Actions (Proposed)
- Restoration Actions (Proposed)
- Collaboration with Partners/Stakeholders (Proposed)
- Monitoring Actions (Ongoing)
The KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan includes an overview of project options (options matrix), ongoing monitoring actions, and project abstracts. Detailed implementation plans will be developed for supported initiatives at a subsequent date."
Download the NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER INDIAN RIVER LAGOON HEALTH INITIATIVE PLAN (PDF 22pp 1MB)
The Kennedy Space Center Environmental Management Branch will present the KSC Indian River Lagoon Health Initiative Plan at the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program Management Board meeting on November 16th at 10:15am - 1:00pm and at the STEM Board meeting on November 16th at 1:30pm - 4:30pm.
The IRLNEP board meetings will be held at Up the Creek Farm, 3570 Valkaria Road, Malabar, FL 32950. This is an in-person event with no video broadcast available at this time.
