NOAA SPEAKS AT THE COASTAL ZONE 07 CONFERENCE IN PORTLAND, OR Remarks
as Prepared for Delivery Thank you. I am pleased to be in Portland to formally kick-off Coastal Zone 2007, with the theme “Brewing Local Solutions to Coastal Issues.” I am also honored to be among our nations’ and the world’s most prominent ocean and coastal resource management leaders. It is all of you who we depend upon to forge partnerships with local communities and citizens to protect and sustainably manage our coasts and oceans. The location and theme of this conference is especially fitting. The West Coast continually demonstrates that they are at forefront of addressing complex local issues by developing solutions in collaboration with state, regional and federal partners. NOAA is proud to be involved in the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Oceans’ Health to assist in developing and implementing priority actions aimed at addressing many of the most pressing coastal issues in this region. NOAA is working with California, Oregon and Washington to develop the tools and information needed to improve place-based marine and coastal protection, including mapping and ecosystem assessments, working with Mineral Management Service and FERC to move forward together with the states on alternative energy issues along the west coast, and improving regional research efforts through our Sea Grant college program and helping coastal communities become more resilient to natural hazards. We see
these same efforts around the country whether it is in the Gulf of Mexico,
New England or the Great Lakes and we’re working closely with
our partners there to achieve many important goals. Many of our national issues, in effect, mirror what is happening or being discussed locally. Issues like: climate change; the need for smart growth; water quality issues; coastal hazards; and others. As an example, as the Administration started working on a bill to reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act, we turned to local constituents and stakeholders to help guide us. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback so far that will strengthen and improve the bill and I hope you all will remain engaged in this process as we move forward. Recent surveys of this audience undertaken by the NOAA Coastal Services Center and the Coastal States Organization tell us that one of the big impediments you face is the lack of political and social will needed to make and enforce the hard decisions. If ever there was a window of opportunity to change things, I would have to say now is the time. Certainly from the national perspective, this Administration recognizes the value of our Oceans and Coasts. We have made great strides over the last several years, including:
I am very proud of these accomplishments and think they will a great deal to help us meet our coastal resource challenges. However, as most of you know when dealing with the government, we have to put our money where our mouth is. The Administration has done just that. This year the President called for increased funding for many ocean and coastal programs and conservation efforts. The President is requesting a net increase of $55.3M over the FY 2007 amount for NOSprograms and $59 M for NMFS programs. Specifically, these increases support key coastal priorities, including:
The CELCP has proved especially valuable in protecting coastal and estuarine lands considered important for their ecological, conservation, recreational, historical or aesthetic values. The program provides state and local governments with matching funds to purchase significant coastal and estuarine lands, or conservation easements on such lands, from willing sellers. We recently announced seventeen projects across the country that will be funded in FY 2007. To compliment the national program emphasis and the funding priorities, NOAA is also implementing a regional framework to its business practices. As we have seen, many states are already partnering on a regional basis and we see a great deal of value to having NOAA operate this way. The goal of our regionalization efforts has two parts. The first concerns the way we develop our products and services. We have staff in every line office stationed throughout the coastal zone, and we are asking them to immerse themselves into the needs and issues of their region so we can do a better job of developing products and services to meet your priority needs. This will require line offices within NOAA to coordinate as they plan their programs and budget to ensure that we are meeting the key needs identified in each region. The second has to do with product delivery. There are numerous components of the NOAA family, and even for those of us who work in headquarters, it can be hard to always know about all of the services, data, tools, and technology that is available. Without contributing to information overload, we want to ensure that you know about the many products and services that NOAA provides and that they are accessible and easy to use. Therefore, improving communications, outreach and delivery of services are at the heart of our regionalization concept. At the core of all these activities is the realization that none of our lofty goals and ambitions will be met unless we work together. I speak for all of NOAA when I say we are looking forward to working with you not only at this conference but also throughout the work days ahead of us as we strive to protect our coastal resources and coastal communities. Thank you.
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