The Obama Administration recently released its final National Ocean Policy Action Plan, outlining more than 50 actions the U.S. will take to protect our nation’s oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. Priorities in the plan include ecosystem-based management, habitat protection & restoration, climate change adaptation, coastal & marine spatial planning, and water quality & sustainable practices on land.
The good news is that Oregon is ahead of the curve on ocean planning with the recent completion of our Territorial Sea Plan for siting renewable ocean energy within our nearshore waters. Additionally our work on water quality, ocean health, reducing the impacts of plastic pollution and shoreline management are also key pieces of the National Ocean Policy. Moving forward, we look forward to leveraging these local efforts with enhanced leadership from the federal goverment. Read more and learn how you can help support Implementation of the National Ocean Policy in the recent post by Pete Stauffer on the Surfrider Coastal Blog.