Copies of the newly revised Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for Tampa Bay are now available free on CD-ROM by e-mailing saveit@tbep.org or calling (727) 893-2765.

Known as Charting the Course, the Plan sets forth specific, measurable goals for bay improvement in eight key Action Plan areas: Water & Sediment Quality; Bay Habitats; Fish & Wildlife; Dredging & Dredged Material Management; Spill Prevention & Response; Invasive Species; Public Access; and an expanded Public Involvement strategy. The Invasive Species and Public Access Action Plans are appearing for the first time in the CCMP.

These additions reflect new or emerging issues for the bay management community. Several individual actions in the original Plan have been merged, modified or eliminated as well, while new actions have been added based on revised information and newly identified priorities. This update encompasses 38 actions – eight of them appearing in the Plan for the first time.

A “State of the Bay” chapter summarizes progress made in bay protection and restoration since the adoption of the original management plan in 1997, noting ongoing or new challenges. Important trends in the key issue areas identified by TBEP and its partners are presented here.

Additionally, an “Implementation & Financing” chapter describes the Interlocal Agreement under which the Tampa Bay Estuary Program operates, and lists mechanisms for financing bay restoration and protection strategies.

Research priorities also are noted and prioritized in the updated Plan.