National Ocean Policy & Marine Planning

1. National Ocean Policy&Marine Planning National Boating Federation 2013 Annual Meeting Deerin Babb-Brott, Director National Ocean Council Office

2. Overview • The National Ocean Policy • Background • The Policy • Implementation Plan • Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (Marine Planning) • Regional approach • What it is • What it isn’t

3. National Ocean Policy An America whose stewardship ensures that the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, and security of present and future generations.

4. National Ocean Policy • Executive Order established our Nation’s first ever National Policy for Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes • Creates an interagency National Ocean Council to provide sustained, high-level, and coordinated attention to advance the National Policy • Prioritizes action to address the most pressing challenges facing the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes • Establishes a flexible framework for marine planning to address conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainable benefits from marine ecosystems

5. National Ocean Council 27 Federal departments, agencies and offices responsible for ocean activities

6. National Ocean Council National Ocean Council Principals/Deputies Co-Chairs: CEQ/OSTP Governance Coordinating Committee State/Tribal/Local Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel National Council Office

7. Ecosystem-Based Management Rather than managing for individual species Considers the entire ecosystem

8. Inform Decisions and Improve Understanding Increase knowledge to continually inform and improve management and policy decisions Help educate the public through formal and informal programs

9. Coordinate and Support Better coordinate and support Federal, State, tribal, local, and regional management Improve coordination and integration across the Federal Government

10. Resiliency and Adaptation to Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Strengthen resiliency of coastal communities and marine and Great Lake environments Strengthen their abilities to adapt to climate change impacts and ocean acidification

11. 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

12. Water Quality Enhance water quality in the ocean, along our coasts, and in the Great Lakes by promoting and implementing sustainable practices on land

13. 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

14. Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Observations, Mapping, and Infrastructure Photo credit: Rutgers Strengthen and integrate Federal and non-Federal ocean observing systems, sensors, data collection platforms, data management, and mapping capabilities into a national system and integrate that system into international observation efforts

15. Marine Planning Preserve and enhance access; reduce conflict among existing uses and between existing and new uses; understand, conserve and protect natural resources

16. Voluntary Regional Planning

17. Options for Regional Action • Outcomes can range from information that supports specific management interests, to a plan that informs and guides regional priorities • Provide information about an issue, resource, or area of interest to better inform existing management • Describe desired future conditions and provide information and guidance to collaboratively move towards achieving them

18. Minimize Ship Strikes of Whales

19. Regionally Determined Process • Region determines the scope, scale, and content • Driven by needs, interests, and capacity of the region • Supports and builds on existing programs and initiatives

20. Regional Planning Bodies • Working forum to identify and address priority regional issues • Ensures state, Tribal, federal, collaboration • Engages stakeholders and public expertise and perspective • RPB makes decisions by consensus – not a voting body • Is not a regulatory body • Products do not have regulatory authority

21. Regionally Determined Outcome • Address state and regional interests • Build on existing efforts • Engage stakeholders, businesses, public, scientists, and technical experts • Gather information – maps of resources and uses, such as recreational boating transit routes, important marine recreation destinations, important recreational fishing areas • Engage and participate

22. MA Ocean Management Plan • Areas of concentrated recreational fishing

23. MA Ocean Management Plan • Recreational boating activity

24. Regional Planning Does Not: • Establish any new regulations • Restrict any ocean uses or activities • Restrict recreational access • Include a zoning plan or map

25. Regional Planning Does : • Identify and protect recreational resources and access to them • Provide a voice for stakeholders to ensure that review and permitting decisions incorporate information about their interests • Maximize the ability of marine resources to continue to support a wide variety of human uses • Improve existing decision-making and planning across multiple levels of government • Facilitate sustainable economic growth by providing transparency and predictability for economic investments

26. Thank you