National Ocean Council Listening Session

Share Your Ideas with the National Ocean Council
July 1, 2010 - Portland State University

Heceta Head - tammi miller

Come listen as experts from the National Ocean Council stop through Oregon to talk about the strategic action plans devised to achieve nine national priority objectives that were set to address some of the most potent issues being faced by our countries’ ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. To review these strategic action plans, visit this site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/sap.  Take a look at the agenda and consider joining Our Ocean as we stand to public comment on behalf of our region.
Pre-Register by June 27, 2011 at http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/registration/west_coast_sap.cfm


Who:  Everyone! All interested supporters and stakeholders
When:  July 1st, 9am – 1pm
Location:  University Place: Portland State University, 310 SW Lincoln Street, Portland, OR.

More Oceans news

Background - What’s happening?

Last July, President Obama established our country’s first-ever National Ocean Policy. Like a Clean Air Act or a Clean Water Act for healthier air and water, we finally have a bedrock environmental policy for our oceans. This is a huge victory for everyone who treasures the wonder of the seas, who values ocean life, who flocks to the beach, who loves seafood, and who makes a living on or from the water. A new National Ocean Council of existing federal agencies was created to implement the policy.

Now the National Ocean Council needs to hear from you!

The executive order called on the Council to develop strategies to fix some of the most pressing challenges facing our ocean’s health. The Council has developed outlines of the steps the federal agencies plan to take to address these priority issues. Now the National Ocean Council will be hosting regional public listening sessions to discuss these outlines and take your ideas on protecting our oceans and coasts.

More background information on the National Ocean Policy and the dates of the public listening sessions can be found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans.

Attend a public meeting and help shape the course of this new National Ocean Policy for years to come. Your help is needed to make sure the National Ocean Policy protects and restores our valuable oceans and coasts for generations.

President Obama’s landmark move signals the strong connection between environmental and economic health.  Investing in smart ocean planning is a national priority, and Oregon is on the cutting edge.  Our Territorial Sea Planning process will help us manage the growing demands on critical ocean resources sustainably.  In addition to siting renewable energy projects and other uses responsibly and in a precautionary style, Oregon has been in a process of identifying and setting aside a series of areas in the state ocean waters that act like “ecological savings accounts” where ocean plants and animals can thrive safe from disturbance. After a ten year public process, The Ocean Policy Advisory Council unanimously approved the Marine Reserve Community Team recommendations after coastal stakeholders in nearshore waters as marine reserves and mixed-use marine protected areas:

Why do we need a Smart Plan?
Our ocean is under pressure from climate change, pollution, increased demand for fresh seafood, decreased fish stocks, coastal development, and uses like wave energy and aquaculture.  Oregon can address these uses responsibly. With careful and precautionary planning, now that Oregon stakeholders have made progress in collaborative management, on a difficult issue like no-take marine reserves, it makes sense to ensure that the way we use our ocean ensures a healthy and sustainable ocean that can strengthen coastal economies by the development of “sea job” which are ocean science-related research projects will create new living wage jobs in coastal counties – for now a future generations.

Suggested Talking Points

The Need for Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
An important tool that allows us to be smarter about how we use the seas, so we can keep them healthy and clean

•    We demand a lot from our ocean – from fishing and tourism, to shipping and energy development. When we don’t plan well for these activities by using best science, it jeopardizes the valuable resources we depend on.

•    Smart Ocean Planning that prioritizes ecological health and biodiversity over other uses can change that – responsibly aiding to protect habitat areas on our coasts, provide cleaner water on our beaches and helping protect endangered whales and other ocean wildlife.

•    To plan responsibly, we must support locally driven, regional discussions that include balanced and diverse stakeholder groups who can best inform scientists and policy makers in a planning process that embraces experiential knowledge. This recipe for success will aid in the data collection as well as identify areas where industrial uses could be considered and areas that are too ecologically significant and special –requiring further protection. 

•    As in Oregon, planning is exceptionally important when factoring in wind energy and other renewable power siting off our coasts. Oregon’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard requires that 20% of our state electrical load come from renewable sources on or before 2025 – so the clock is ticking!

Important Points/ Actions the Council Should Include in Their Nine Strategic Action Plans
•    Coastal and marine spatial planning is an important tool to achieve healthier oceans.

     o    Planning should include the identification and protection of important ocean ecological areas and processes.

     o    Plans should rely on the best-available science - including Ecosystem Based Management

     o    Strong public involvement and stakeholder engagement is essential to the success of ocean planning efforts.