Gulf of Mexico Habitat Conservation & Restoration
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GULF OF MEXICO HABITAT CONSERVATION & RESTORATION COMPARING THE MEXICAN & UNITED STATES LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS Prepared by the Environmental Law Institute & Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental For the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team Funding provided by the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, through cooperative agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal Services Center July 2011 [This page intentionally left blank] About this Report This report was prepared by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA) for the Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team (HCRT) of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA). Funding for the project was provided by the Gulf of Mexico Foundation through a cooperative agreement with the Coastal Services Center, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ELI staff contributing to this report included Jordan Diamond, Kathryn Mengerink, and Sara Gersen. CEMDA staff contributing to this report included Alejandra Seranno Pavon and Anaid Velasco Ramirez. Both organizations greatly appreciate all help received from volunteer staff and colleagues to make this project possible. In addition, both organizations wish to extend their gratitude to the numerous Gulf of Mexico experts, in both the United States and Mexico, who provided input and review comments over the course of the project. About ELI and CEMDA Publications ELI publishes Research Reports that present the analysis and conclusions of policy studies ELI undertakes to improve environmental law and policy. In addition, ELI publishes several journals and reporters — including the Environmental Law Reporter , The Environmental Forum , and the National Wetlands Newsletter — and books, which contribute to education of the profession and disseminate diverse points of view and opinions to stimulate a robust and creative exchange of ideas. Those publications, which express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Institute, its Board of Directors, or funding organizations, exemplify ELI’s commitment to dialogue with all sectors. ELI welcomes suggestions for article and book topics and encourages the submission of draft manuscripts and book proposals. CEMDA texts contained in this publication were based on legal provisions contained in various laws, policies, and regulations. During the preparation of the publication the authors tried to respect the spirit of the legal orders and bibliography consulted. The authors take responsibility for any omissions or misinterpretation of the consulted laws and regulations. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institutions and organizations regarding the issues discussed. Gulf of Mexico Habitat Conservation and Restoration: A Comparison of the Mexican & United States Legal & Institutional Frameworks. Copyright © 2011 Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, D.C., USA, and Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, Mexico City, Mexico. All rights reserved. This report and any portions thereof may be reproduced and distributed without charge, provided that it is credited to: “Environmental Law Institute & Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, © 2011, used by permission.” (Environmental Law Institute®, The Environmental Forum®, Environmental Law Reporter and ELR® are registered trademarks of the Environmental Law Institute.) [This page intentionally left blank] TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ i A. Objectives and Approach ................................................................................................ 1 B. Assessing and Comparing the United States and Mexican Frameworks ............................ 7 1. Overarching Observations .................................................................................................. 7 2. Wetlands and Estuaries ...................................................................................................... 8 3. Harvested Species Habitat ................................................................................................ 17 4. Coral Reefs ........................................................................................................................ 21 5. Beaches and Dunes ........................................................................................................... 24 6. Cross-cutting issue: Offshore Oil and Gas Development and Accident Response ............ 28 7. Cross-cutting issue: Protected Species and Protected Places ........................................... 35 8. Cross-cutting issue: Environmental Impact Assessments ................................................. 40 9. Cross-cutting issue: Coastal Management ....................................................................... 43 10. Cross-cutting issue: Water Quality ................................................................................... 47 C. Potential for a Regional Agreement and Entity .............................................................. 52 1. Using existing mechanisms and authorities ..................................................................... 59 2. Developing a new agreement and/or regional body ........................................................ 63 D. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 68 Appendix I. Mexican and U.S. Legal Frameworks for Habitat Conservation and Restoration . 70 Appendix II. Regional Institutions Affecting Gulf of Mexico Habitat Conservation and Restoration ....................................................................................................................... 156 Appendix III. The International Context: Bilateral and International Agreements and Lessons Learned from Other Regions .............................................................................................. 192 FREQUENTLY USED ABBREVIATIONS General EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ICRARD International Committee on Regulatory Authority Research and Development ICRI International Coral Reef Initiative LME Large Marine Ecosystem MOU Memorandum of Understanding MPA Marine Protected Area NACEC North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NAMPAN North American Marine Protected Areas Network NGO Nongovernmental Organization OCS Outer Continental Shelf UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization México CIMARES Interministerial Commission for Sustainable Management of Seas and Coasts (Comisión Intersecretarial para el Manejo Sustentable de Mares y Costas) CONABIO National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad) CONAFOR National Forestry (Comisión Nacional Forestal) CONAGUA National Commission of Water (Comisión Nacional del Agua) CONANP National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) CONAPESCA National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca) LGBN General Law of National Assets (Ley General de Bienes Nacionales) LGEEPA General Law for Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente) LGVS General Law of Wildlife (Ley General de Vida Silvestre) NOM Official Mexican Standard (Norma Oficial Mexicana) PECC Special Program of Climate Change (Programa Especial de Cambio Climatico, Comision Insecretarial de Cambio Climatico) PEMEX National Petroleum Company (Petróleos Mexicanos) PROFEPA Federal Agency of Environmental Protection (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente) SAGARPA Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Foods (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca, y Alimentación) SECTUR Ministry of Tourism (Secretaría de Turismo) SEGOB Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación) SEMAR Ministry of the Navy (Secretaría de Marina) SEMARNAT Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) SENER Ministry of Energy (Secretaría de Energía) ZOFEMAT Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zona Federal Maritimo Terrestre) United States Army Corps U.S. Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers BOEMRE U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CIAP Coastal Impact Assistance Program CMSP Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning CWA Clean Water Act CWPPRA Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act DOI U.S. Department of the Interior DOS U.S. Department of state EFH / HAPC Essential Fish Habitat / Habitat Areas of Particular Concern EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA Endangered Species Act FWS U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service GOMA Gulf of Mexico Alliance MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MSA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act NEP National Estuary Program NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NERR National Estuarine Research Reserve NMFS U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries