Development of a Disaster Response Plan for the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve

The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) is a network of four protected coastal sites, covering over 10,500 acres, which was established for long‐term research, education, and stewardship. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, five Gulf of Mexico NERRs created comprehensive disaster response plans (DRP) and were the first reserves in the nationwide system to initiate disaster planning. NCNERR deemed that its own DRP was needed to guide emergency management efforts, build better partnerships between NCNERR managers and emergency managers, and position NCNERR as a partner to support area response efforts. Site‐specific hazards were identified and ranked in collaboration with NCNERR managers. Facilitated stakeholder workshops brought together all relevant local, state, and federal emergency response personnel and garnered input on potential hazards, impacts, and preparation needs of each NCNERR site. The input from site managers and stakeholders informed the creation of the DRP, which will be included in NCNERR’s 2016‐2021 Management Plan.