Conservation Working Group

humpback whales lunge feeding on fish at the surface with sea bird overhead — Humpback whales lunge feed on large schools of sardines in the sanctuary. Photo: Douglas Croft/*Get Into Your Sanctuary* Photo Contest

The Conservation Working Group's mission is to help promote and achieve comprehensive and long-lasting stewardship of the sanctuary through continued oversight and advocacy. Working group members discuss current and emerging issues that may potentially impact sanctuary resources. The Conservation Working Group objectives:

Serves as a forum and clearinghouse for identification, exchange, and discussion of information on current and emerging environmental issues, as well as sanctuary-specific resource protection and management issues
Provides advice and factual information on resource protection, sanctuary management, and other conservation issues in response to requests from sanctuary staff, the advisory council, and other associated working groups
Identifies resource protection and management needs and makes recommendations on priorities, strategies, and policies to sanctuary staff, the advisory council, and other associated working groups
Promotes communication and coordination among conservation organizations and other non-governmental organizations, user groups, sanctuary staff, the advisory council, and other associated working groups

Membership

The Conservation Working Group is co-chaired by the two conservation representatives serving on the Sanctuary Advisory Council. Members include those who represent conservation organizations or conservation interests within the sanctuary and are committed to contributing work products and participation at working group meetings. Representatives of elected officials typically participate as non-voting members of the Conservation Working Group. All meetings are open to the public.

For more information contact Karen Grimmer, resource protection coordinator, karen.grimmer@noaa.gov.