What is the Reserve Operations Plan and when was it finalized?
Executive Order 13186 requires that a plan be developed to govern the management of the Reserve. A Reserve Operations Plan has been finalized which will serve as a guide to govern the management of the Reserve throughout the designation process to address priority issues like marine debris, research and monitoring, education, and enforcement. The Reserve Operations Plan follows the template for management plans developed by the NMSP, and is composed of a set of function and issue-oriented (as identified in the Executive Order) action plans, with supporting documentation. The plan will be incorporated into a long-term Sanctuary management plan upon successful completion of the designation process. Public comments on a draft Reserve Operations Plan were received through May 17, 2002. The most recent draft Reserve operations plan (ROP) was presented to the Reserve Advisory Council (RAC) for content review in spring 2003. The RAC’s advice was considered during a writing workshop held immed
