2013 CCMP, Chapter 4:
Action Plan Introduction and Organization
About the new Buzzards Bay CCMP Action Plans
The Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) was updated in November 2013 to reflect the great progress achieved since the original CCMP was finalized. This page has only a few highlights of this chapter. Read the actual text of Chapter 4 as a pdf file.
Action Plan Introduction and Organization
The action plans contained in this chapter form the centerpiece of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan 2005. Successful implementation of these plans should lead to protection of the water quality and natural resources of Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed.
Action plans are divided into seven sections: Problem, Background, Major Issues, Goals, Objectives, Recommendations and Commitments (with target dates). Under each recommendation are estimated financial costs, legislation or regulations required, responsible parties, and tracking.
The first three categories, set off in their own section, provide the reader with the necessary background for a full understanding of the subject matter, and set the stage for the action items. The other sections, beginning with Action Plan Goals, are combined into an Action Plan summary sheet, with financial costs and tracking strategy combined under each recommendation.
Goals are broad, long-term aims that indicate the desired condition for Buzzards Bay. Objectives are more specific, shorter-term targets for attaining goals. Recommendations are the specific actions needed to implement the objectives. Every objective should have at least one recommendation associated with it. For the action plans contained in the 1991 CCMP, these goals and objectives have generally changed little. The CCMP recommendations are the specific actions that have been identified by federal, state, and regional agencies as well as municipalities as actions most likely to achieve the stated goals and objectives. Below each recommendation is a target date, and a statement as to whether or not the applicable agency has agreed to take the action by the stated target date.
The Difference between goals and objectives
- Goals are broad; objectives are narrow.
- Goals are general intentions; objectives are precise.
- Goals are intangible; objectives are tangible.
- Goals are abstract; objectives are concrete.
- Goals usually cannot be validated as is; objectives can be validated.
- Goals are long term, Objectives are shorter term
Under each recommended action, the costs required for implementing several of the Action Plans, together with the possible funding sources and the most realistic financing options are included in Financing Chapter 8, CCMP financing. Strategies to track or monitor implementation of is included under each recommendation. Additional Information on monitoring is also provided in Chapter 9, monitoring.
For recommended actions, wherever the phrase “each Buzzards Bay watershed municipality” is used, this is meant to refer to those municipalities with appreciable areas within the Buzzards Bay watershed. Unless otherwise stated, this refers to the towns of Acushnet, Bourne, Carver, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Rochester, Wareham, Westport, and the City of New Bedford.