On June 2, 2011, the National Ocean Council released draft outlines of Strategic Action Plans ("SAPs") aimed at addressing the nine Priority Objectives that the Council was tasked with addressing by President Obama's June 2010 Executive Order. The draft outlines come as the next step in the Council's effort to develop a National Ocean Policy that is consistent with the Executive Order.

Background

On June 12, 2009, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum creating an Interagency Ocean Task Force charged with developing recommendations for a National Ocean Policy and a recommended framework for effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning ("CMSP"). The Task Force conducted stakeholder meetings and briefings through Fall 2009, issued an interim report on September 10, 2009, and released an interim framework for CMSP on December 9, 2009. The Task Force's final recommendations were released on July 19, 2010. On the same day, President Obama issued an EXECUTIVE ORDER adopting the Task Force's recommendations and creating the National Ocean Council to help agencies implement the recommendations. In January 2011, the Council released a document outlining the legal authorities related to the implementation of CMSP and released a Notice of Intent and request for comment for the development of SAPs that addressed the Priority Objectives identified in the 2010 Executive Order.

Strategic Action Plans

The Council's SAPs are intended to address specific actions that the government can realistically take to advance the implementation of the National Ocean Policy and will identify specific and measurable near-term, mid-term and long-term actions to meet each Priority Objective. The SAPs are broken down into two categories: 1) "how we do business" (to improve how the federal government carries out its stewardship responsibilities), and 2) "areas of special emphasis" (to address priorities that require immediate, sustained attention). They are, as defined by the Council, as follows:

How We Do Business

  • Ecosystem-Based Management: adopt ecosystem-based management as a foundational principle for the comprehensive management of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes;
  • Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning: implement comprehensive, integrated, ecosystem-based CMSP in the United States;
  • Inform Decisions and Improve Understanding: increase our knowledge in order to continually inform and improve management and policy decisions, as well as our ability to respond to changes and challenges and better educate the public through formal and informal programs about the ocean, coasts and the Great Lakes; and
  • Coordinate and Support: better coordinate and support federal, state, tribal, local and regional management of the ocean, coasts and the Great Lakes and improve coordination and integration across the federal government and, as appropriate, with the international community.

Areas of Special Emphasis

  • Resiliency and Adaptation to Climate Change: strengthen the resiliency of coastal communities and marine and Great Lakes environments and their abilities to adapt to climate change impacts and ocean acidification;
  • Regional Ecosystem Protection and Restoration: establish and implement an integrated ecosystem protection and restoration strategy that is science-based and aligns conservation and restoration goals at the federal, state, tribal, local and regional levels;
  • Water Quality and Sustainable Practices on Land: enhance water quality in the ocean, along our coasts and in the Great Lakes by promoting and implementing sustainable practices on land;
  • Changing Conditions in the Arctic: address environmental stewardship needs in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent coastal areas in the face of climate-induced and other environmental changes; and
  • Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Observation, Mapping and Infrastructure: strengthen and integrate federal and nonfederal ocean observation systems, sensors, data collection platforms, data management and mapping capabilities into a national system and integrate that system into international observation efforts.

Draft Outlines

The draft outlines are the product of writing teams composed of representatives from the Council agencies and designed to provide an initial view of how federal agencies might address each of the Priority Objectives. Each outline presents bulleted potential actions to address the Priority Objectives, describes the reasons for taking the action and any expected outcomes, the milestones, the time frame for completion, and the gaps and needs in science and technology that relate to each of the actions.

In drafting the outlines, the writing teams were guided by certain parameters. Each plan has approximately six actions that are focused on federal efforts and are succinct, feasible, based on measurable and achievable outcomes, and consistent with the Obama Administration's budgetary and management goals. According to the Council, the actions focus on eliminating procedural redundancy, encouraging efficiency, and evaluating and prioritizing ongoing and new activities. The actions deal with federal activities, rather than international or state-driven actions, and do not suggest changes to, or new, legislation.

Opportunities for Stakeholder Involvement

The draft outlines are currently available for review. The Council is seeking public comments on the outlines to help inform the development of the full plans, which will be available in draft for public review and comment later in 2011. The public comment period closes on July 2, 2011. In addition to accepting written comments, the Council has scheduled a series of listening sessions: Washington, D.C. (June 9); Barrow, Alaska (June 9); Anchorage, Alaska (June 10); Chicago, Ill. (June 13); Jacksonville, Fla. (June 15); Honolulu, Hawaii (June 16); Exeter, N.H. (June 27); Galveston, Texas (June 27); Ocean Shores, Wash. (June 27); San Francisco, Calif. (June 30); West Long Beach, N.J. (June 30); and Portland, Ore. (July 1).

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