INTERAGENCY OCEAN POLICY TASK FORCE
The Task Force’s Interim Report is available here.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
August 21, 2009 – Anchorage, AK
September 17, 2009 – San Francisco, SF
If you cannot attend the meeting in person:
- View the live webcast
- Call in to the listen-only phone line: (888) 769-8760 (up to 100 lines); Participant Pass code: 67311
September 24, 2009 – Providence, RI
If you cannot attend the meeting in person:
- View the live webcast
- Call in to the listen-only phone line:
United States: (866) 658-7997 (up to 100 lines); Participant code: 4319624
International: (517) 833-7464; Participant code: 4319624
September 29, 2009 - Honolulu, HI
CONTACT THE INTERAGENCY OCEAN POLICY TASK FORCE
You can submit a comment to the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force by using the form below.
You can submit a comment about the Task Force's Interim Report here.
THE PRESIDENT'S MEMORANDUM
On June 12, 2009, President Obama sent a
memorandum to the heads of executive departments and federal agencies establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force is charged with developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes. It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning.
"The oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security," President Obama wrote in the memorandum. "We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations."
"The challenges our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are facing are complex, and to meet these challenges we must have the participation of a wide spectrum of views from within the federal government," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The Task Force has a wealth of opportunity to make our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes healthier - both environmentally and economically."
The recommendations and frameworks developed by the Task Force will be cost effective and improve coordination across federal agencies. The Chair will terminate the Task Force upon the completion of its duties.
Read the President’s
Proclamation on National Oceans Month
The Task Force seeks input on its work from interested communities, governments, tribes, businesses, associations, non-governmental organizations and the general public.
We ask that you focus your comments on the issues set forth in the President’s Memorandum. Please specify one of the following five topics when submitting a comment:
- National Policy: Recommendations for a national policy that ensures the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources, enhances the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies, preserves our maritime heritage, provides for adaptive management to enhance our capacity to respond to climate change, and is coordinated with our national security and foreign policy interests.
- Framework for Policy Coordination: Recommendations for a framework for policy coordination of efforts to improve stewardship of the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes among Federal, State, tribal, and local authorities, including regional governance structures.
- Implementation Strategies: Recommendations for an implementation strategy that identifies and prioritizes a set of objectives the United States should pursue to meet the objectives of a national policy for the oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.
- Marine Spatial Planning: Recommendations for a framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning that is a comprehensive, integrated, ecosystem-based approach that addresses conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainable use of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
- Emerging Issues on Ocean, Coasts and Great Lakes Policy: Comments on the implications of other emerging issues for ocean, coasts and Great Lakes policy, such as offshore renewable energy development and climate change.
