Issue Highlights:
WA Ocean Policy Work Group update
Other WA State News
State Ocean Policy News
Congressional News
Federal and Executive Agency News
Other News
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Washington State
Developments
Ocean Policy Work Group Update
The Washington Ocean Policy Work Group held its third meeting in Olympia, WA on Friday, November 4th, 2005. At that meeting, students from the University of Washington’s School of Marine Affairs presented reports on draft policy memos being created for the work group. The next work group meeting will discuss the final drafts of these memos and a summary report, and is scheduled for December 7, 2005 in Olympia. A summary of the Nov. 4th meeting can be obtained at the Meeting #3 link below.
Report of Meeting #1 - August 22, 2005 (PDF, 5mb)
Report of Meeting #2 - September 23, 2005 (PDF, 140k)
Report of Meeting #3 - November 4, 2005 (PDF, 755k)
Other Washington State News
The Northwest Straits Initiative held a commission meeting and a Marine Resources Committee Training Conference in Skagit County on November 4th and 5th. View the NW Straits Commission webpage.
On October 27th, 2005, Seattle hosted a climate meeting entitled, “The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be: Planning for Climate Disruption.” The conference website can be viewed here. An article about the conference was printed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer the following day.
 State Ocean
Governance Update
Note: We hope to track the most active States in ocean policy. We are currently tracking numerous State ocean policy developments. The following are selected examples, and we hope to continue to include further examples in future issues. If you have specific updates on these States' activities, please contact the newsletter (see left).
Oregon
The Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council held a meeting in Florence, OR on Friday, October 28, 2005. A summary of the meeting is being prepared and should be available from OPAC in the near future. Please check back for updates. A list of current members is available online.
The Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University has pioneered a web portal that connects the public to coastal natural resource data, tools, and expertise. Recently launched as an active web site, this portal is intended to serve as a model for other portals that will be developed to make statewide natural resource data available to the public and policy makers.
Alaska
In December of 2004, the Governor of Alaska created the position of State Ocean Policy Coordinator. The Ocean Policy Coordinator is charged with coordinating the State's response to changes in federal ocean policy. The Alaska Ocean Policy website can be viewed here.
Together with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Region, the Alaska Ocean Policy Cabinet is hosting a November 16 meeting for all state and federal agencies with jurisdiction in the Aleutian Islands ecosystem, where agencies and the Council will discuss the need for and possibilities of increasing agency collaboration in the context of Aleutian Island ecosystem issues.
Massachusetts
In March 2005, Gov. Mitt Romney proposed an Ocean Resources and Conservation Act that gives state agencies the authority to generate plans to develop, manage, and protect ocean resources. Details regarding the legislation can be found on the MA Office of Coastal Zone Management’s website.
Recommendations made by the Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force have also been posted online and include links to the 16 recommendations, along with state ocean education and ocean management programs.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Coastal Ocean Coalition, a group of environmental NGOs, releases report on how to react to key findings by the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. The report can be viewed here.
Florida
Earlier this year, approval of House Bill 1855 created a new Oceans and Coastal Resources Council (OCRC). Members of the Florida OCRC have recently been announced and can be viewed here. The council intends to develop research priorities and a statewide plan for ocean and coastal research. Materials from the last Florida OCRC meeting, including the agenda and a number of PowerPoint presentations are available online.
 Congressional
News
Coastal Barrier Resources System Hearing
On November 8, 2005 the House Fisheries and Oceans Subcommittee heard testimony on H.R. 3552 , a bill reauthorizing the Coastal Barrier Resources System. Click here for more information.
Federal Agencies & the Executive Branch
Judge partially overturns NOAA ban on grouper fishery
10/31/05—A federal judge overturned part of a NOAA Fisheries ban on grouper fishing. While a temporary ban on red grouper fishing remains in place, permission to fish 16 other grouper species was restored. Read the corresponding Fort Meyers News-Press story.
Federal/State task team on marine reseach priorities
As part of the process to develop national ocean research priorities, the Subcommittee on Integrated Management and Ocean Resources (SIMOR) has put together a Federal-State Task Team on Research Priorities comprised of representative from various coastal State agencies and ocean and coastal related federal agencies. The task team will provide input on high priority ocean and coastal research needs, specific problem areas, and immediate needs for addressing resource management challenges. Click here for more info on Committee on Ocean Policy, JSOST and SIMOR.
Other News…
Joint Ocean Commission Initiative formed
The Commissioners from the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy have recently formed the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. Headed by Leon Panetta, head of the Pew Oceans Commission, and Adm. James Watkins, head of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the JOCI has been organized as an effort to catalyze policy reform on numerous ocean issues stemming from the two Commission’s reports. Their website can be viewed here. Read an op-ed article about JOCI, written by Commissioners Jane Lubchenco and William Ruckelshaus, that was printed in the 11/10/05 Seattle Times.
Funds Available for Ocean Monitoring and Management
The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET). CICEET is seeking preliminary proposals for the Environmental Technology Development (ETD) Program. Through this program, CICEET makes strategic investments in the development and application of technology to monitor, manage, and prevent the contamination and degradation of coastal and estuarine waters and habitats. Funding is available to U.S. scientists and innovators from academia, private industry, and the public sector who seek to develop tools that meet the priority needs of coastal management. Click here for more information. The deadline for preliminary proposal submission is November 21, 2005, at noon.
NOAA Fisheries lists funding opportunities for fisheries habitat restoration projects
The Community-based Restoration Program at NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation has compiled a list of direct federal funding opportunities for projects that involve fisheries habitat restoration around the coastal U.S. Deadlines are approaching—December 2005 for Marine Debris Program applications and January 2006 for the Open Rivers Initiative. However, a number of other NOAA and non-NOAA funding opportunities are listed at this site.
European Union commits funds to ocean protection
October saw a commitment by the European Union to dedicate 70 million Euros per year towards protection and conservation of the marine environment. The marine protection plan must be ratified by member states before it becomes binding. For an article link, click here.
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