President Obama created an Interagency Task Force on Ocean Policy on June 12, 2009 "to better meet our Nation’s stewardship responsibilities for the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes." The Task Force has been instructed to provide recommendations in 90 days for the first three issue areas and 180 days for the last. To meet this time frame, the Task Force has been instructed to build upon the work of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission.
NOAA Fisheries Northeast has requested comments from "interested communities, governments, tribes, businesses, associations, non-governmental organizations and from the general public."
Readers are urged to read the president’s memo and the Pew Commission report and submit comments.
Citizens are advised by NOAA to "feel free to include information about the impact of significant emerging issues on your area of expertise or concern … on jobs and the economics of your business or activity; and any experience you have with current policies and programs—with an emphasis on specific suggestions for improvement where possible."
Please send your comments to the White House Task Force as requested. Please also send them to info@savingseafood.com so that excerpts can be compiled and published. Your comments should be signed, but names will be withheld upon request.
The text of the request from NOAA follows:
In order to better meet our Nation’s stewardship responsibilities for the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes, President Obama created an Interagency Task Force on Ocean Policy on June 12, 2009.
The Task Force is led by the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the other members are composed of senior-level officials from the agencies, departments and offices on the existing Committee on Ocean Policy. The Task Force has been instructed to provide its recommendations in 90 days for the first three issue areas and 180 days for the last.
The Task Force seeks input on its work from interested communities, governments, tribes, businesses, associations, non-governmental organizations and from the general public. If you would like to provide comments, please click here.
We ask that you focus your comments on the issues set forth in the President’s Memorandum:
· National policy for oceans and for coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems;
· Ocean governance framework;
· Implementation Strategy to meet the objectives of the national policy; and
· Coastal and marine spatial planning.
In addition, please feel free to include information about the impact of significant emerging issues on your area of expertise or concern, like climate change or offshore renewable energy development; on jobs and the economics of your business or activity; and any experience you have with current policies and programs—with an emphasis on specific suggestions for improvement where possible.
Please note, that to meet the ambitious timeframe outlined in the President’s Memorandum, the Task Force will build upon the work of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission. These reports, appendices and the extensive public engagement and records will serve as important foundations for the work of the Ocean Policy Task Force. Thank you for your interest in the oceans and coasts.