Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve 2020-2025 Management Plan August 2020 | Final Acknowledgements This document was prepared with funds from Grant Award Number NA18NOS420018, Office of Coastal Management (OCM), National Ocean Service (NOS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. Principal contributors included: Steve Miller, Coastal Training Program Coordinator; Kelle Loughlin, Education Coordinator; Beth Heckman, Assistant Education Coordinator; Chris Peter, Research Coordinator; Rachel Stevens, Stewardship Coordinator; Katie Callahan, New Hampshire Fish and Game GIS Specialist; Melissa Brogle, Volunteer Coordinator; Jay Sullivan, Naturalist; Collen McClare, Naturalist; and Cory Riley, Manager. With thanks to Jess Waters and Tricia Miller for editing and formatting services and to Adrianne Harrison of the OCM for guidance and review. i Contents Figures . iii Executive Summary . iv Introduction to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System . 1 Introduction to the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve . 4. GBNERR Strategic Plan . 17 Research Plan . 20 Education Plan . 30 Coastal Training Program Plan . 39 Administrative Plan . 48 Volunteer Plan. 56 Resource Protection and Stewardship Plan . 61 Public Access and Visitor Plan . .72 Facilities Development and Improvement Plan . 78. Land Acquisition Plan . 85 Citations . 98 APPENDIX I MOA between NHFG and NOAA . .101 APPENDIX II Federal Consistency Determination . 106 APPENDIX III Public Involvement and Comments . 108 APPENDIX IV Federal Register Notice . 110 APPENDIX V Wildlife Management Area Rules . .113 APPENDIX VI NHFG Organizational Chart . .124 ii Figures Figure 1: National Estuarine Research Reserve System map . 1 Figure 2: Map of Great Bay in relation to Gulf of Maine . 5 Figure 3: Watershed drainage map of the Great Bay region . 6 Figure 4: Map of key estuarine habitats in Great Bay . 9 Figure 5: SLAMM model results demonstrating marsh loss . 13 Figure 6: GBNERR Boundary: 1989 . 15 Figure 7: GBNERR Boundary, 2005 . 16 Figure 8: Map of monitoring sites . .26 Figure 9: GBNERR organizational chart . .49 Figure 10: NHFG Parcels by Primary Protection Type . 65 Figure 11: GBNERR Conservation of Public Lands by Ownership Type . 66 Figure 12: GBNERR Public Access map . .74 Figure 13: Great Bay Greenland Campus Map . 80 Figure 14: Buffer and core areas of GBNERR, 2020 . 90 Figure 15: GBNERR 2020 Acquisition Zone . .92 Figure 16: GBNERR 2019 Habitat Priority–Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) . 93 Figure 17: GBNERR 2017 Habitat Priority–Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) . .94 Figure 18: NHFG Parcels by Primary Protection Type . .96 iii Executive Summary The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1989, in large part due to a group of passionate local environmentalists advocating against the construction of an oil refinery along Great Bay’s shores. The passion of the people who staff, support, and participate in Reserve activities continues to fuel the organization today. Over the past thirty years, GBNERR has expanded in size, relevance, and influence on estuarine issues both locally and nationally. Through time, GBNERR has stayed true to the mission of the NERRS as stated in the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and the implementing regulations for the NERRS (see 15 C.F.R. § 921: herinafter NERRS regulations), while continually assessing how to serve local communities and the host agency, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG). As of 2020, the NOAA-approved Reserve boundary encompasses 10,235 acres of land and water that includes Little Bay, Great Bay, the mouths of five rivers, and over 30 NHFG managed properties within the watershed and along the shores of the bay. New Hampshire has a very small coastline. Great Bay is located 16 miles inland from the Atlantic coast and has seven rivers that flow into the estuary. Most policy and land use decisions that impact habitat and water quality are made at the local level by volunteer boards or elected officials. This creates a powerful motivation to approach GBNERR’s effort from a watershed perspective by working closely with the communities that surround the bay and its tributaries. The integrated science, coastal training, education, and stewardship programs at GBNERR aim to understand the biophysical and social trends in the region, how these trends influence the health of the estuary and well-being of the people that live around the bay, and what appropriate action can be taken from a personal, professional, and political perspective to protect Great Bay. This management plan articulates a five-year vision for GBNERR to continue to mature as a program, deliver science to inform coastal management, and raise awareness of estuaries and their connection to people using a place-based approach. Within the timeframe of this plan, the Reserve aspires to engage more people and different types of people with GBNERR programs and properties; improve program effectiveness and reach through the use of a renewed Advisory Structure; grow the research program; officially expand the Reserve boundary; and create a stable staffing and facilities plan. The efforts of GBNERR are coordinated with partners in the region to understand and mitigate the largest threats to coastal management in New Hampshire. At this time, the key threats and stressors facing Great Bay Reserve and the surrounding communities fall into two interconnected categories: • Land use changes in the New Hampshire Seacoast that impact water quality and habitat. • Climate change, which magnifies the issues related to land use change because of increased precipitation, changes to physical and chemical conditions, and species and habitat shifts. To address these threats, the Reserve sets out the following mission, vision, goals, and objectives: Mission: Practice and promote the stewardship of estuaries through integrated and innovative research, education, resource management, and training in the Great Bay Watershed. Vision: A resilient Great Bay Watershed, where human and natural communities thrive. iv GOAL 1 Coastal scientists and managers understand how Great Bay is functioning now, how it may function in the future, and how that is influenced by and will impact people in the watershed. OBJECTIVES 1.1: To understand, protect, and restore the structure and function of Great Bay estuarine ecosystems 1.2: To understand the vulnerability and resiliency of Great Bay ecosystems and communities in relation to key stressors. 1.3: To protect representative habitats within the NERR that support native wildlife. STRATEGIES • Work with partners to monitor environmental changes within Great Bay over time. • Facilitate and conduct applied and basic research to advance understanding of the structure and function of estuaries. • Facilitate and conduct science to advance understanding of how stressors are impacting the estuary and how habitat, water quality, and built communities may be impacted in the future. • Develop, share, and use the best science available to prioritize and direct restoration and resource protection strategies. • Work with partners to actively protect estuarine land and restore key habitats. • Convene partners to identify and advance science, protection, and restoration priorities in the region. • Translate and communicate GBNERR and other local science results to decision makers and citizens to inspire and enable action. • Identify key coastal management science and technical needs and use that to guide GBNERR and partner efforts. • Engage in the scientific and technical community of New Hampshire and within the NERRS to enhance understanding of Great Bay and advance national understanding of estuarine resources. GOAL 2 People make personal and professional decisions that help restore and protect ecosystem function while advancing social priorities. OBJECTIVES 2.1: Reserve staff understand how people make professional and personal decisions that could impact Great Bay. 2.2: People have clear information that translates local science. 2.3: People understand the potential consequences and trade-offs of their actions and decisions. 2.4: People recognize that they are an integral part of the Great Bay ecosystem and are inspired to and supported in making choices that protect and restore Great Bay. STRATEGIES: • Advance the understanding of personal and professional motivations and behavior change theory, and apply that to education, outreach, stewardship, and volunteer programming. • Create or enhance outdoor experiences that inspire an engaged citizenry to act on behalf of the health of Great Bay. • Translate science and coastal management questions in a tailored way is appropriate and relevant to specific audiences. • Enhance opportunities for multi-directional dialogue and collaborative idea generation about what the key coastal issues are in the region and how to solve them. • Deliver high quality training and education programs that demonstrate how people and the estuary are interdependent and give participants practical information and tools to change how they work and act. • Encourage investigation and communication about trade-offs between different policy, restoration, and behavioral decisions. • Work with the Great Bay Stewards to engage a larger and more diverse group of people to participate, volunteer, and experience GBNERR and GBNERR programs. v Awards and Achievements The last management