Research Technical Report

A Structured Approach for Kelp Restoration and Management Decisions in California

Gleason M.G., J.E. Caselle, W.N. Heady, V.R. Saccomanno, J. Zimmerman, T.A. McHugh, and N. Eddy (April 2021)

The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. 54pp.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (partial)

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for how to use a structured decision making (SDM) approach to support informed decisions and investments in kelp management and restoration at scales ranging from individual kelp forests to broad regions. The intended audiences of this report are state agencies, NGOs, restoration practitioners, funders and other stakeholders engaged in kelp management, restoration, and conservation efforts in California and beyond. While natural resource managers are commonly in a decision-making role and often lead public SDM processes, this document aims to make the SDM process more transparent and provide enough kelp-specific information for SDM participants to meaningfully contribute to the process. While the guidance and examples are focused on canopy-forming kelp species in California, this SDM framework could be broadly applicable to support management and restoration decisions in kelp ecosystems in temperate regions throughout the world.