Abstract

Partnerships for Transboundary Protection (PTP) is an initiative within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that aims to build partnerships to link and align place-based and species conservation efforts within and beyond U.S. waters. The founding partners are the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS, within NOAA’s National Ocean Service) and the Office of Protected Resources (OPR, within NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service). The PTP concept originated during discussions about compliance with Section 7(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which requires Federal agencies to “utilize their authorities…by carrying out programs for the conservation of endangered species and threatened species” (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.). In 2004, ONMS and OPR held a strategic planning workshop that identified the need to develop a long-term collaborative program, which has not been established until now. The PTP program fulfills the statutory requirement and meets the need for long-term collaboration by institutionalizing interoffice collaboration to achieve shared objectives and create links to meet conservation goals.

PDF Preview