The Obama administration is proposing a grant program that could start zoning marine areas for offshore projects.
The White House released a fiscal 2011 budget proposal this week that includes $20 million in grants for regional ocean partnerships. The competitive grants would support planning for marine zoning.
Advocates of the zoning effort say the proposal — a small part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's $5.55 billion annual budget — would be a big step toward helping improving the marine management.