HomeMy WebLinkAboutSS4 - Correspondence#,.5 S3 -° ,14,Oq
Draft Letter from Council
(to be used as an insert to the RAMP)
The City of Newport Beach Council supports the overall goals of this Harbor Area
Management Plan (HAMP) to achieve a Sustainable Newport Bay through balancing the
following social, economic and environmental objectives:
• Maintain the beneficial uses of the Upper and Lower Newport Bay and economic
value of the Bay;
Achieve regulatory requirements within a practical framework that meet the
specified target in the current and anticipated municipal permits, sediment
permits, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and other regulatory programs for
Newport Bay; and _
Work toward a sustainable estuary ecosystem integrated with sustainable
watershed and coastal area systems.
As a management tool, the HAMP provides the City with a guide to planning projects
that meet the challenges of the Bay in an integrated and holistic manner. The Council
supports the HAMP as a basis to develop and plan projects that meet the stated
objectives.
This HAMP is not a recipe for project implementation, rather a framework that the City
can use as a guide to planning and developing more project specific plans. Without the
demonstration of the integration of the various projects provided in the HAMP, the full
benefits and cost - effective solutions can not be fully realized. This HAMP also provides
a prioritization tool for the city in considering how best to use available resources. By
comparing project to an equally weighted set of benefits, projects can be better prioritized
based on cost and final benefits realized.
The HAMP completes the effort of the City of Newport Beach in preparing and
supporting the completion of planning documents that link our marine and coastal
resources with those of the Bay and watershed. These documents include the Integrated
Coastal Watershed Management Plan, the HAMP, and the Central Orange County
Integrated Regional and Coastal Watershed Management Plan. The documents therefore
provide a basis from which projects and programs may be developed and implemented,
and demonstrates the City's efforts to effectively protect and management these
resources.