Coastal Management's Schecter to Become NOAA Adviser
RALEIGH -- Roger N. Schecter, director of the Division of Coastal Management since 1990, has accepted a consulting position with the National Ocean Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Schecter, who will be based in Beaufort, assumes his new duties July 1. He will lead National Ocean Service efforts to develop a national program to protect habitat, watershed and water quality.
"Roger has given our Department 18 years of dedicated service," said Wayne McDevitt, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. "He led the nationally recognized Pollution Prevention Program, and he helped Coastal Management make major advances in the areas of wetlands protection and restoration.
"We look forward to a new partnership with Roger and the National Ocean Service."
During Schecter's tenure as Coastal Management director, the Division moved into the world of technology, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to address a number of resource issues. GIS is a computer tool that can be used to answer questions about the location, condition, trends and patterns of wetlands, development, and other land and water features.
Coastal Management developed nationally-recognized computerized methods of assessing wetland function and selecting wetland restoration sites. DENR's Wetlands Restoration Program will be using the methods developed at Coastal Management.
Also during Schecter's tenure, Coastal Management increased its level of technical and financial support to local governments developing and updating land use plans. Using GIS, Coastal Management provides local governments with detailed maps of their areas, showing everything from wetlands and significant natural areas, to water quality classifications, storm surge and coastal hazards. The information is designed to help local governments better plan for growth.
In his new job, Schecter will report directly to Nancy Foster, assistant administrator for the National Ocean Service in Silver Spring, Md.
The National Ocean Service (NOS) is responsible for health and safety of the nation's coastal and oceanic environment. The national Coastal Zone Management program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve program, both of which provide money to the Coastal Management division, are part of NOS.
"One of our priorities is ensuring that our science is responsive to coastal managers," Foster said. "We're very excited because Roger brings a wealth of that experience to our programs."
Schecter has worked for DENR since 1980 and served at Coastal Management longer than any other director. During his tenure, he also served as a delegate to the Coastal States Organization and currently is that organization's chairman.
Prior to joining the Coastal Management staff, he directed the state's pollution prevention program and served as advisor to the US Environmental Protection Agency, helping develop its national waste reduction program.
Schecter holds a master's degree in regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master's degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was presented the Governor's Outstanding Service award in 1988.
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Date Posted: June 5
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