Issue Highlights:
WA Ocean Policy Work Group update
Relase of "Action for Washington's Ocean: The Interim Report of the Washington State Ocean Policy Work Group" - December 31, 2005
State Ocean Policy News
CA - California Ecosystem-based Management Intiative; California and the World Ocean Conference September 2006
Other News
______________________________________________
Washington State
Developments
Ocean Policy Work Group Update
The Washington Ocean Policy Work Group held its second meeting of 2006 in Olympia, WA on February 28. At this meeting, student researchers from the University of Washington's School of Marine Affairs presented their draft policy research memos to the work group. Included in the meeting report are the slides from student presentations, as well as a summary of the meeting. The work group's next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 24th from 9am to 12pm in Olympia. The main topic for this meeting will be continued planning for a pubilc outreach program, to commence in May.
Report of Meeting #6 - February 28, 2006 (PDF, 1.4mb)
Action for Washington's Ocean: The Interim Report of the Washington State Ocean Policy Work Group - Released December 31, 2005 (PDF 748k)
ARCHIVE: Reports of OPWG Meetings #1-5, August 2005 - January 2006
 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 State activities, please contact the newsletter (see left).
Oregon
The next Oregon OPAC meeting is scheduled for March 17th, in Tilamook, OR. The public is invited to attend. Among the topics that will be discussed are proposed planning for an offshore national marine sanctuary, coastal seafloor mapping, and gaining public comments on the OPAC's work. View Governor Kulongoski's request to have the Oregon Coast named a National Marine Sanctuary.
California
The California Ocean Protection Council has recently announced the creation of a Executive Ocean Policy Officer position, which will report to the Council Chair and will be the primary policy analyst for the OPC. The Executive Policy Officer assumes the lead role for strategic planning and implementation of the OPC's policies, initiatives,and programs as well as coordination among all State entities associated
with the purview. More information on this position can be found here.
The California Ocean Protection Council held its most recent meeting in Santa Barbara on January 13, 2006. For details on this and future meetings, visit the California OPC Public Meetings homepage. The next California Ocean Protection Council meeting is scheduled for April 20-21 in Sacramento, CA.
California continues to work on its ecosystem-based management initiative. Find the January 27, 2006 memorandum here. In addition, the OPC is still busy in preparation for the upcoming conference: "California and the World Ocean ’06: Implementing California’s Vision for Ocean and Coastal Protection." This conference will take place September 17-20, 2006 in Long Beach. A CWO '06 Web site with more information will be announced soon. If you have any questions in the interim, please contact Marilyn Hauck from The Complete Conference at mhauck@completeconference.com or (916) 922-7032.
Florida
The Florida Ocean and Coastal Resources Council had its latest meeting on March 13 & 14. Topics discussed were a proposed aquaculture pilot project, with the majority of the meeting devoted to discussing budgeting for the recently released scientific research plan. For more information, please visit the Florida Ocean and Coastal Resources Council hompage.
Other News
Senate Subcommittee on Ocean Policy to hold Aquaculture Hearing
On April 6 at 10am (EST) the Senate Commerce Committee's National Ocean Policy Study Subcommittee will hold a hearing to discuss offshore aquaculture. The hearing will examine current proposals to regulate offshore aquaculture operations, discuss research in this field being conducted off the coasts of New England and Hawaii, and explore the impacts that expanded aquaculture operations would have on fishermen, seafood processors, and consumers. More information, including a live webcast, can be found here.
To be added to the newsletter distribution list, please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to WA_Ocean_Update-request@mailman.u.washington.edu
To be removed from the newsletter distribution list, please send an email with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line to WA_Ocean_Update-request@mailman.u.washington.edu
www.sma.washington.edu
|