Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs will host a forum on Marine Spatial Planning for Long Island Sound on Wednesday May 5th at the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus.

With increasing uses and conflicts over Long Island Sound, marine spatial planning offers a potential approach to management. Analogous to the land-use planning process, marine spatial planning usually results in a comprehensive plan or vision for the marine region.

This comprehensive plan, developed in consultation with stakeholders, is used to create and establish a more rational and informed organization of the use of marine space and the interactions between its uses and to balance the demands for development and conservation.
 
With increasing uses and conflicts over Long Island Sound, marine spatial planning offers a potential approach to management. The purpose of the forum is to:

• Share information and educate stakeholders on the concept and practice of marine spatial planning
  
  
• Identify good practices that illustrate how marine spatial planning can help implement sea use management
  
  
• Discuss and identify if marine spatial planning as an alternative management approach for the region.

Participants could include government management agencies, legislators, environmental organizations, industry and academics. The day will organized into two parts: (1) The morning will be composed of 2-3 presentations from experts on the topic. (2) In the afternoon, participants will be divided into working groups to discuss key scientific issues, legislation and policy framework, implementation zoning, and process. This will be followed by a facilitated plenary session on the feasibility of marine spatial planning for Long Island Sound and next steps.
 
The featured speaker at the forum will be Charles (Bud) Ehler who has extensive knowledge and experience on marine spatial planning both in the U.S. and around the world.

For more on Long Island Sound, the concept of marine spatial planning and the forum on May 5th, download Sea Grant's two-page fact sheet (pdf).