NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE ASSOCIATION INC

Programs: Nerr system science collaborative: nerra received funds from unh's science collaborative to fund the waquoit bay nerr carbon management of coastal wetlands project that began in october 2011. In the period august 1, 2013 through july 31, 2014, the project has focused on the completion of data collection, economic analysis, and stakeholder engagement. The project team completed its testing of hypotheses about the greenhouse gas exchanges in salt marshes; and further honed its model for predicting carbon storage in wetlands. Additionally, during this reporting period project team members again engaged in outreach to intended users, and provided several venues of additional training and information sharing of project methodology. As with the previous year, the outreach included a hands-on field visit for local decision-makers and coastal managers, and multiple educational talks and webinars on the bringing wetlands to market project and potential applications, and completion of several science communication products, including project videos and fact sheets. Final drafts of the draft blue carbon methodology; and of options for economic and policy analyses were completed.

nerrs/nerra annual meeting/apa memberships: $38,841 & coop 09-14 year 4 $15,208: nerra was once again the organizer and fiscal manager for the 2013 annual meeting of the nerrs and nerra. The meeting was held for four days, november 19 through november 22, 2013, at the us fish and wildlife service's national conservation training center in shepardstown, wv. Over 170 employees from the 28 nerrs attended the meeting, including administrators, scientists, educators, trainers, and resource managers. Personnel from our federal partner, noaa, and representatives from 10t friends and foundation groups also attended. The meeting included workshops related to scientific research, climate change, k-12 education, and training opportunities for decision-makers. There were also presentations by experts in the various fields of the nerrs. The annual meeting also provided opportunities for staff to develop strategic plans for current programs and plan for the development of new ones to meet the needs of the coastal management communities in which the 28 reserves are located. Nerra's director of special projects and executive director served as the coordinators of the meeting, ensuring all logistics were met. Nerra's accountant and treasurer were responsible for budgeting and overseeing all finances, including receivables and payables. $38,841 was raised through registrations to help pay for annual meeting costs, with the balance of the expenses paid for by $10,553 in noaa cooperative agreement funds. Also part of this task was nerra's assistance to the coastal training program. Nerra organized, and arranged for, memberships with the american planning association for the coastal training programs at 25 of the 28 nerrs. $4,655 in noaa cooperative agreement funds were used for the memberships.

owc visitor center: old woman creek nerr and, nerra have finalized deliverables from its noaa grants. The following graphic panels and touch screen displays were finalized:- touch screen display containing an interpretation of the swmp program and a real time data port, plus a building dashboard that uses building monitoring infrastructure to assess the reserve's energy and water use;- graphic panel showing the state of lower great lakes coastal wetlands; - touch screen monitor that describes noaa line office functions in the great lakes;- graphic panel with a flip book of the ohio coastal atlas and a graphic panel with a touch screen of the ohio coastal access guide;- reserve and natural history timeline graphic panel;- foyer map of great lake estuaries including its two reserve sites. Interpretive plan: riggs ward design completed design templates for all reserve signs. All signs have been fabricated by a local firm and are in use on the reserve trails. A reserve intern completed a script for a smart phone app that was also part of the interpretive plan. The app is available from the itunes store, and it will be uploaded to the google play store for android users. Facility master plan: the architecture firm doty & miller completed a master plan for the reserve in may 2014. The firm participated in two reserve stakeholder meetings, with the old woman creek nerr advisory council and the friends of old woman creek. The master plan contains ideal development scenarios for the reserve to implement over the next 20 years. The reserve and contractor facilitated an internal discussion about project phasing. Web marketing: riggs ward provided a web page design and scheme to the reserve. The division of wildlife and the rest of the department of natural resources are updating web pages to adhere to a state branding scheme. What has been developed through the project will be used by the reserve, but the time table for going live on the department's web is uncertain. Traveling displays: the reserve and designer developed two types of displays. There are now seven free standing "pop up" displays that focus on the reserve itself, its research, education, stewardship, and coastal training programs, the nerr system, and great lakes coastal wetlands. The reserve also purchased an extra touch screen display so that its interactive displays could travel. The reserve's virtual watershed display has been used at the cleveland metroparks west creek watershed stewardship center.

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