Washington, D.C. — Today, the White House announced that the National Ocean Council has finalized the United States’ first ever ocean plans for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. This is the culmination of years of collaborative work by federal and state agencies, tribal governments, and private sector and NGO stakeholders. In response to the announcement, the Center for American Progress Director of Ocean Policy Michael Conathan said:
Completion of these regional ocean plans represents a major milestone in bringing rational, data-driven, and modern governance to our increasingly busy ocean spaces. Thanks to the pioneering work of President George W. Bush’s U.S. Commission on Oceans and President Barack Obama’s leadership to act on the Commission’s recommendations, we now have two excellent ocean plans that will help align federal agency efforts with state and tribal government priorities from Maine to Virginia. The ocean plans will smooth the way forward for important new industries such as offshore wind energy; protect traditional ocean users such as fishermen, shippers, and the U.S. military; and help conserve marine wildlife.
Related materials:
Center for American Progress event: Ocean Governance in a New Administration. December 7, 2016.
Ocean Planning Is the Key to Unlock America’s New Blue Economy by Shiva Polefka
A Good Plan: Supporting the National Ocean Policy Ensures the Prosperity of Coastal Economies by Shiva Polefka
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.