Ocean Zoning Discussion Forum

The National Ocean Council recently established its portal for Ocean Data.  The ocean data portal is available here. The CRE has been monitoring the activities of the National Ocean Council and will be monitoring the NOC’s data as it is released.  The CRE invites the public to do the same by commenting on this IPD.

Below is information about the portal as released by the National Ocean Council:

This is the National Ocean Council’s portal for data, information, and tools to support people engaged in planning for the future of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.  Our goal … Continue Reading

Some two dozen legislative proposals to improve the regulatory process are under consideration by the Congress.  Nonetheless, the immediate relief needed for job creation can come though OIRA.

Accordingly  we have launched an interactive public docket (IPD), OIRA Watch,  aimed at demonstrating the need for OIRA to act on particular issues of interest.

The impact of any “Watch” site is heavily depending upon the credibility of its sponsor; please view CRE’s credentials, giving particular attention to … Continue Reading

Historically, federal civil servants played a critical role in developing and implementing federal policy. The attached article in the Administrative Law Review,published by the American Bar Association in conjunction  with the Washington College of Law of the American University, sets forth in Section D on page 54  the critical role career federal employees had in the establishment of … Continue Reading

Managing commercial and recreational fisheries is a complex and sometimes contentious process in which fishing interests, scientists, and regulatory agencies don’t always see eye-to-eye.

From: Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Researchers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) are now working with commercial fishermen to collect … Continue Reading

November 18, 2011
Friday

(SitNews) – Numerous Alaska priorities including funding for aviation, weather satellites, fisheries enhancement and rural development are contained in an appropriations bill supported by U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) & U. S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) which passed the Senate yesterday. The appropriations bill, which funds numerous federal departments, is now on its way to President Obama’s desk.

“Alaska has unique needs, from accurate weather forecasting to safe aviation for our rural communities, and I’m pleased we successfully … Continue Reading

From: The Dispatch

OCEAN CITY — A potential plan to effectively zone vast areas of the open ocean along the nation’s coastlines got more play this week with a congressional committee hearing on Wednesday.

Last year, based on the recommendations of the Interagency Task Force on Ocean Policy, President Barack Obama issued an executive order calling for a National Ocean Policy, a policy that could include a somewhat controversial “marine spatial zoning” of the seas off the nation’s coastlines, including here in Ocean City and the mid-Atlantic.

The president called for the creation of a National Ocean Council, an organization of stakeholders … Continue Reading

From: Inquire and Mirror

By Joshua Balling

I&M Assistant Editor

In recent years, environmentalists, marine scientists and government officials concerned about the oceans have focused most of their attention well offshore, as issues like alternative energy, diminishing fishing stocks and global warming miles from land have become hot topics.

Next Thursday, however, the focus will shift to an area much closer to shore, as the second annual Coastal Communities Conference kicks off at the Nantucket Yacht Club. While last year’s conference focused on erosion, … Continue Reading

From: Voxy.co.nz

Waikato’s popular marine areas will be protected and enhanced for the future by a new plan about to get underway, the Waikato Regional Council heard yesterday.

The Policy and Strategy Committee yesterday directed council staff to begin preparation of a Regional Waikato Marine Strategy and scope collaborative options for developing a marine spatial plan for the Hauraki Gulf.

Committee chairperson Paula Southgate said the Waikato’s marine areas were among the region’s most heavily used natural resources.

“They have significant regional importance in terms of amenity and economic potential and we want to ensure we retain and enhance these areas for the future,” … Continue Reading

From: Press Release

The Aquarium of the Pacific and USC Sea Grant gathered leading national experts in the first attempt to apply coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) to the waters off Southern California. The Obama Administration interagency Ocean Policy Task Force recommends planning the allocation of the ocean through this process. Other countries have adopted CMSP, but in the U.S. only Massachusetts and Rhode Island have implemented it.

The Aquarium of the Pacific wants California to … Continue Reading

From: SouthamptonPatch

By Lisa Finn

Southampton Town’s waterfront areas were front and center this week as initiatives were announced that focus on sustainability.

The Southampton Town Coastal Program is aimed at addressing coastal issues including nitrification, natural resources protection, open space preservation, coastal zoning, capital projects, waterfront business revitalization and more.

The first meeting of the project advisory committee took place this week; the project is funded by the state and town.

Coastal planning professionals from the Urban Harbors Institute of the University of Massachusetts were hired to perform a study; town staffers and locals with waterfront concerns and expertise comprise the advisory … Continue Reading

From: World Fishing & Aquaculture

A pioneering project that will help shape a sustainable future for the fishing industry and marine wildlife was recently launched.

The project, Fish Map Môn, is being developed initially for the sea area around Anglesey and the Menai Strait. Information on fishing activity and intensity will be gathered from individual fishermen, which will then be combined with information on the area’s wildlife habitats and their sensitivity.

The maps produced will give a clear picture of the type and level of fishing activities taking place in various natural habitats. The maps will be a basis to develop options … Continue Reading

From: The Maritime Executive

Senior Federal Government Officials To Engage Ocean Industries at Marine Planning Conference

Blank Rome Maritime, the largest maritime and admiralty law practice in the United States, has agreed to become a sponsor of the National Business Forum on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). Blank Rome is a member of the World Ocean Council, which is organizing the Forum in Washington D.C. on 13-14 July.

There is still time to register for the National Business Forum, where the ocean business community will have a unique opportunity to engage in dialogue directly with key Federal government officials involved … Continue Reading

From: Platts

Deepwater Wind, one of three developers in the Northeast vying to build the US’ first offshore wind farm, has won a key court ruling for its 28.8-MW project off the coast of Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court on Friday rejected arguments from two manufacturers that National Grid will pay too much for power from the Block Island project.

Toray Plastics and Polytop challenged the state Public Utilities Commission decision approving the utility’s 20-year deal to buy the power at an opening price of 24.4 cents/kWh with a 3.5% annual escalation.

The favorable court decision paves the way for the $250 … Continue Reading

From: SeaCoastOnline.com
By Shir Haberman
 
EXETER — In July 2010, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that established the first comprehensive national policy for the stewardship of the ocean, coasts and Great Lakes. On Monday, members of the National Ocean Council, which was established under this order, held a public listening session at Exeter High School to get input on the nine strategic plans developed by the council.

While virtually everyone who spoke praised the initiative, several voiced warnings and concerns about what was and was not included in the plans. Hampton resident Ellen Goethel, representing local and regional commercial fisherman, questioned … Continue Reading

From: Zoo and Aquarium Visitor

By Marilyn Padilla

Long Beach, CA – The Aquarium of the Pacific has announced that it will be leading a gathering of key stakeholders in making the first attempt in the nation to apply coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) on Southern California’s urban ocean in late July. CMSP is among the recommendations for ocean stewardship published by the Obama administration’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. “The Aquarium is leading the dialogue on urban ocean issues at local and national levels, raising awareness among the public, and bringing together stakeholders to make innovative plans for the future,” … Continue Reading

Continue Reading

From: The Maritime Executive

Written by:  Paul Holthus, Executive Director World Ocean Council

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is moving ahead rapidly in Europe, Australia and the U.S., creating a significant threat and opportunity for maritime industry access and operations in the marine environment. Unfortunately, the shipping industry is often not actively engaged in MSP in a coordinated manner. There is a substantial risk that the efficiency and safety of shipping will be compromised by the predominance of other stakeholder interests if there is not consistent, coordinated business presence at the MSP table.

Collaborating … Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: The following is the Heritage Foundation’s 5th Component of a Healthy National Energy Policy.  The complete document, American Energy Freedom: The Basis for Economic Recovery, is attached below.

Congress should require an independent review of all scientific findings used to support current environmental regulations under the purview of the Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the EPA. Congress should repeal or amend those regulations that fail to meet the scientific integrity review. In July 2010, the Obama Administration issued an executive order called the Ocean Policy Initiative that subjects all of America’s waterways and … Continue Reading

By Pat Forgey   JUNEAU EMPIRE

Managers at the state’s Division of Coastal and Ocean Management met with staff Monday, following the Legislature’s surprise action over the weekend to allow the program to end at the end of fiscal year, June 30.

“We are doing everything we can to find them reasonable employment outside coastal management,” said Randy Bates, the division’s director.

Of Coastal Management’s 33 employees, 22 are based in Juneau, with the remainder in Anchorage. Bates said they are looking at employee skill sets now.

“We are talking with other departments that might employ similarly experienced … Continue Reading

TESTIMONY-BY: MICHAEL R. BROMWICH, DIRECTOR

AFFILIATION: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Statement of Michael R. Bromwich Director , Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation And Enforcement United States Department of the Interior

Committee On House Natural Resources

May 13, 2011

Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear here today to discuss the renewable energy program of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and our efforts to facilitate and expedite the development of the Nation’s offshore wind energy resources.

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Wind Resources and Energy Development Goals BOEMRE manages the energy and mineral … Continue Reading

From: Fishing World (Australia)

By Scott Coghlan

THE Federal Government’s release of the draft South-West Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network on Thursday offered renewed hope to those of us who believe recreational fishing and marine conservation principles can successfully co-exist.

Environment Minister Tony Burke announced the Gillard Government’s plans for a system of marine parks (MPAs) in the south-west on Thursday, which included one of the the biggest MPAs in the world, running from west of Augusta to near Esperance and covering a staggering 322,380 square kilometres of ocean. Overall, the five new MPAs in Western Australia, which are broken up into three categories, … Continue Reading

The National Ocean Council invites the public and stakeholders to join our members and Federal, tribal, and State representatives in a public session on Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) in Washington, DC on June 21, 2011. Gathering public feedback through this workshop is a critical step toward implementing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes (National Ocean Policy), as established by Executive Order under President Obama.

To engage the public in implementing CMSP in the United States, workshop participants will learn about CMSP and help shape how it can be used to … Continue Reading

From: Oregon Business

By Lee van der Voo

At the center of the debate is an oyster. It has no shell, stands over three stories tall and the muscle of its jaw is a pair of hydraulic pistons. When it anchors to the ocean floor, it arrives on a crane. More than $80 million is behind the scouting effort for its next home.

The Oyster (capital O) is Aquamarine Power’s answer to ocean energy. It generates power by capturing waves and … Continue Reading

From: Environmental Protection

Policymakers are very familiar with land-use planning. But what is the best approach for planning uses of America’s coastal waters and oceans? That question has gained importance since President Obama formed the National Ocean Council last summer and charged it with developing an ecosystem-based stewardship policy for the nation’s oceans, coastal waters and the Great Lakes.

A team of natural and social scientists led by Brown University offers some guidance. Published in the scientific journal Conservation Letters, the team’s paper offers policy recommendations based on a two-year investigation of marine protection efforts by more than two-dozen local and regional … Continue Reading

From: HydroWorld.com

Significant research is under way to determine the potential environmental effects of marine and hydrokinetic energy systems. This work, being guided and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is intended to address knowledge gaps and facilitate installation and operation of these systems.

By Glenn F. Cada, Andrea E. Copping, and Jesse Roberts

A relatively new generation of waterpower technologies, broadly categorized as marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy systems, offers the possibility of generating electricity from water without dams and diversions. The potential power that could be derived from currents, tides, waves, and ocean thermal gradients is enormous, and there are … Continue Reading

From: South Lincoln County News

BY: Terry Dillman 

Marine spatial planning, the pros and cons of catch shares, and the plight of salmon fishermen were the main topics during a fishermen’s roundtable held Thursday afternoon at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

A panel of about 25 local, state and federal fishing industry leaders gathered to discuss those and related matters with U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader as part of the congressman’s series of public sessions in Lincoln County. Will Stelle, regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northwest Region, started things off, joining the conversation via telephone from Portland.

Stelle said most of … Continue Reading

From: SitNews.US

By LAINE WELCH  

March 26, 2011

Alaska Senator Mark Begich is quick to name the issue that’s giving him the biggest earful so far in his new post as Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, and Coast Guard: “marine spatial planning.”  

The concept is listed as a top priority by the 2010 National Ocean’s Council which is already preparing to draft action plans on nine coastal/ocean objectives. It would affect all users and uses, on and beneath the oceans.

“I hear it over and over again,” Sen. Begich said in a phone call from D.C. “Let’s call it like … Continue Reading

A tool called the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre provides baseline information needed for marine spatial planning efforts around the U.S., particularly those that involve finding the best location for renewable energy projects.

Users of this interactive tool can pick the ocean geography of their choosing and see information about:

- Jurisdictional boundaries and limits, including marine protected areas and federal fishery management areas;

- Federal georegulations, such as Clean Water Act Section 402 and the Endangered Species Act;

- Federal agency regions, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and National Park Service;

- Navigation … Continue Reading

From: Bangor Daily News
By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff

ROCKPORT, Maine — When it comes to establishing new federal policies and processes for reviewing and approving marine activities, fishermen say they should have a seat at the table.

The new national ocean policy created last summer by President Barack Obama does not give them one, several fishing industry officials told federal regulators Friday at the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum. The policy lays out a top-down management structure, they indicated, which likely will result in adverse impacts on fishermen.

“We do not have the opportunity as fishermen to be directly involved in the process, and … Continue Reading

From: SouthCoastToday.com

By DON CUDDY
doncuddy@s-t.com
March 06, 2011 12:00 AM

It’s widely agreed that good fisheries regulation demands good science. We need to know how many fish are out there and what is happening to them.

But gaps in the science have spawned disputes between fishermen and regulators in the Northeast and, in response, fisheries scientists are offering a radically different approach to the way groundfish stocks are evaluated and managed.

Regulation is obsolete as it is now practiced, according to Steve Cadrin, associate professor at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology.

“Fisheries management based on single species population dynamics goes back to the … Continue Reading

From: FIS.com

From 31 January to 2 February, more than 700 conferees from 30 countries convened at Seafood Summit 2011 in Vancouver, Bristish Colombia (BC). There they wrestled with how to improve the sustainability of commercial fishing and aquaculture.

Now in its ninth year, the event drew 40 per cent of its attendees from the seafood business. Industry personnel joined conservationists, researchers, and government officials in discussing a range of sustainability issues – marine spatial planning, traceability shortcomings, and next-generation aquaculture among them.

The toughest item on the agenda may well have been ocean acidification, which only recently has emerged as a major … Continue Reading

From: Tri-Parish Times.com

By MIKE NIXON

Approximately 160 members of the South Central Industrial Association were told last Tuesday of White House plans that if fully implemented could seriously hamper commercial and recreational use of the Gulf of Mexico and waterways feeding into it.

Jack Belcher, managing director for the National Ocean Policy Coalition, offered a power point presentation that outlined and documented efforts by the Obama administration to place restrictions and zoning ordinances on all offshore activity. A measure that Belcher claimed would basically be a moratorium on usage of natural resources.

Belcher introduced those in attendance to Executive Order 13547, through which … Continue Reading

Editor’s Note, the following is from CRE Brazil

Research from the University of Washington concluded that better-managed fishing areas are those that have meetings between local community representatives and fishermen. Where there is only government interaction, the results were worse.

Researchers monitored 130 regions in 44 countries using parameters like fishing species, fishing equipment used, the regulatory system, and earnings obtained and distributed among the fishing community.

One of the highlights was fishing for abalone (sea snails) in Chile, which was launched as a trial basis in 1988 and covered 400 kilometers of the coast. Today, the area covers 4,000 kilometers of the … Continue Reading

European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Maria Damanaki, tells Public Service Review about the conflicts and complements of maritime and financial environments

Since I took up my post as Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at the beginning of 2010, fisheries news has been somewhat overshadowed by the wider economic crisis.

And indeed, that crisis has only compounded the underlying contradictions which the fishing industry has been facing for a long time, without tackling them head on. It is my hope that the current climate, while difficult for some of our fleets, will help focus all our minds and wills on … Continue Reading

From:  SouthCoastToday.com

By DON CUDDY
February 01, 2011 12:00 AM
 
NEW BEDFORD — Calling offshore wind turbines “the new frontier for renewable energy,” Daniel Cohen, head of an offshore wind company owned by fishermen, spoke to a small but lively crowd at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Monday.
 
Cohen is president of Fishermen’s Energy, made up of principals in several other New Jersey-based fishing companies who want a stake in how and where wind turbines are sited, he said.
  
“Offshore wind is happening,” said Cohen, who is also CEO of Atlantic Capes Fisheries, a New Jersey company that operates more than 20 fishing vessels.
  
Eight companies … Continue Reading

Attached below are slides from:

2011 Meet Alaska Energy Conference — January 21, 2011

Editor’s Note: The following is from CRE Brazil

One of the main scientific projects in Brazil in the following years is the creation of an oceanic laboratory to be constructed on the high sea. The idea was announced by economist Aloizio Mercadante, new Minister of Science and Technology. He explained that in the future research center, studies on the relationship between sea life and oil exploration will be developed.

“I have already talked to the Navy, Petrobras and some private companies about constructing the first oceanic laboratory on Brazil’s high sea. We are going to be located at the limit of … Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: The following article is from CRE Brazil.

It is not just large deposits of oil discovered at the bottom of the ocean that are gaining the interest of large companies in Brazil. In the search for potassium, phosphate, limestone, iron and many other minerals, the number of requests to explore the areas have increased. From the beginning of 2009 through September 2010, the National Department of Mineral Research (DNPM) received 637 requests, compared to 56 in the two previous years for searches.

The research occurs throughout the 4.5 million square kilometers of the Brazilian continental shelf, areas called Amazônia … Continue Reading

From: Crosscut.com

Some see the ocean as a trove of resources there to be harvested, others as a vast habitat inadequately protected. Now comes a quest for new data to inform their debate.

By C.B. Hall

January 06, 2011.

In the wake of President Barack Obama’s July executive order establishing a National Ocean Council, the eyes of environmentalists, researchers, and other interest groups throughout Washington state and beyond are turning towards the sea, with the realization that it remains the planet’s last frontier, where a vast trove of resources remains unexploited — and, in the view of many, a vast array of life forms remains … Continue Reading

From: TradingMarkets.com

Dec 29, 2010 (FIND, Inc. via COMTEX) –

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) invites submissions describing interest in obtaining one or more commercial leases for the construction of a wind energy project(s) on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Massachusetts. BOEMRE will use the responses to this RFI to gauge specific interest in commercial development of OCS wind resources in the area described, as required by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3). Parties wishing to obtain a commercial lease for a wind energy project should submit detailed and specific information as described below in the section entitled, … Continue Reading

December 21, 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of the Data Quality Act (DQA), also known as the Information Quality Act, 44 U.S.C § 3516, note.

The DQA has deep roots developed over nearly a half-century as the result of a seed planted during the Johnson Administration which germinated in the Nixon Administration, was watered by the Carter Administration and whose product was harvested by the Reagan Administration, made available to the public in the Bush I Administration and subsequently enhanced by the Clinton Administration and promoted by the Bush II and Obama Administrations. See: http://thecre.com/ombpapers/SystemsAnalysisGroup.htm and http://thecre.com/quality/20010924_fedinfotriangle.html

The DQA was … Continue Reading

From: Ocean & Offshore Energy Projects and Policy Blog
Rhode Island-based offshore wind developer Deepwater Wind submitted an application to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to build the largest offshore wind project in the United States: a 200 turbine, 1,000-megawatt offshore wind project in Rhode Island Sound. The project, called the Deepwater Wind Energy Center, also includes a proposal for an undersea transmission network designed to stretch from Massachusetts to New York. The turbines and installation would cost an estimated $4.5 billion to $5 billion, and the transmission system will cost an additional $500 … Continue Reading

Cancun, Dec 3 (IBNS): A new United Nations-backed report warns that unless governments cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, ocean acidification will continue and have wide-ranging impacts on the health of the seas and the fish living in them.

The report, entitled “The Environmental Consequences of Ocean Acidification,” was launched on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) at the UN climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico.

It confirms concerns about the effects of increased ocean acidity on the marine environment, warning that the future impact of rising emissions on the health of seas and oceans may be far greater and more complex … Continue Reading

Editor’s Note:  The following story presents no data in support of its assertions regarding the impact of the proposed activities on marine mammals.

By Rosemary Ahtuangaruak

23 November, 2010
Climatestorytellers.org

This week families across the country will be celebrating Thanksgiving—sharing food and telling stories. Here is my story about our food and culture that would be destroyed if Shell Oil gets the permit to drill for oil in our homeland—the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.

Since 1986 I lived in Nuiqsut, an Inupiat community on the Beaufort Sea coast of Arctic Alaska. In 1991 I graduated from the University of Washington Medex Northwest Physician Assistant … Continue Reading

From: Governor of Maryland 

Potential one gigawatt wind farm could generate thousands of jobs.

Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland Energy Administration today joined the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) in announcing a significant step forward in bringing offshore wind power generation to Maryland’s coast.

The federal government, which controls the Outer Continental Shelf, has accepted the planning recommendations of the Maryland Offshore Wind Task Force and today issued both a Request for Interest (RFI) and a map of an offshore wind leasing area in federal waters adjacent to Maryland’s Atlantic Coast.

Today’s announcement makes Maryland only the second … Continue Reading

DailyPress.com

Ocean Conservancy expert says solutions are simpler

By Kathy Van Mullekom, kvanmullekom@dailypress.com | 10:34 PM EDT, November 2, 2010

When federal agencies managing waters off Massachusetts learned an important shipping lane directed vessels through the heart of the feeding and breeding grounds of endangered right whales at Stellwagen Bank, the solution was soon simple:

Redirect ships 2 miles to the north and significantly reduce the likelihood of them striking whales.

It’s the kind of information that can be shared and a strategy implemented for the good of all concerned, according to Sandra Whitehouse, marine environmental policy adviser for the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy — … Continue Reading

By Chad Marriott

Portland, OR

In response to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s federal funding opportunity (“FFO”) to support Regional Ocean Partnerships (“ROPs”), the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health (“WCGA”) will hold workshops in California, Oregon, and Washington next month to help develop its proposal for a portion of the funding.

The WCGA is the ROP for the West Coast and as such will be engaging tribal governments, state … Continue Reading

The European Union has released a “Communication from the Commission on Maritime Spatial Planning in the EU - achievements and future development” (attached below)

The EU’s MSP Initiative “is the continuation of the work on Maritime Spatial planning which is part of the Integrated Maritime Policy. It is the announced follow-up to the Commission Communication “Roadmap on Maritime Spatial Planning: Achieving Common Principles in the EU”, adopted in 2008, which identified 10 key principles on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and launched a stakeholder discussion on the development of a common approach among Member States on MSP.”

Among the Initiative’s Objectives are “Forming the basis … Continue Reading

By Sharryn Dotson, Power Engineering magazineOctober 13, 2010Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA — The U.S. is now making moves to get into the offshore wind business that the United Kingdom is currently leading in the number of installations and planned projects.

We all know NIMBY-ism played a big role in many offshore wind projects not being built in the United States. All that red tape, coupled with uncertainty over climate change legislation (although we now know there will not be anything in place in 2010) led to us falling behind the rest of the world. But it’s not too late to get … Continue Reading

Yale Daily News

Communication between marine planning agencies needs to be improved, expert Sandra Whitehouse ’81 told students and faculty Monday at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Whitehouse argued that communication is vital when dealing with disasters such as the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

A 75-strong crowd gathered at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies to listen to Whitehouse, who has worked in marine policy and environmental consulting for more than 20 years, emphasise the necessity of science-based decision making when forming effective marine policies.Whitehouse argued that interagency communication is vital when dealing with disasters … Continue Reading

 The Council on Environmental Quality has reviewed and reported on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement’s compliance with NEPA. CEQ’s review focuses on BOEM’s NEPA practices and procedures that are relevant to Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing.1
 
The Natural Resources Defense Council’s comments to CEQ’s (“NRDC’s Comments”) recommended, inter alia, that … Continue Reading

CEQ  has  issued its recommendations to MMS  for ways to imporove  its NEPA procedues as a result of the recent oil spill. In the comments to CRE    a number of our readers conclude  that MMS  has acted on incomplete information.

Accordingly CRE  is initiatiing a review of the CEQ  report .  The vechicle for the  review is the Ocean Zoning IPD .

Please  post your views on this matter by  clicking  on the comments tab on this post or in the alternative,  post  a detailed analysis with an  accompanying report by using the “Submit a post” capability to the right of this … Continue Reading

CRE received a detailed response from an environmental attorney in response to Anadarko’s comments to CEQ. In particular Anadarko was concerned that CEQ was making recommendations before it  had spent sufficient time in gathering facts to define the problem.   The attached  comment submitted to CRE  from an environmental attorney supports the Anadarko conclusion. Read the attachment below.

On February 18, 2010, The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released four proposals to amend NEPA guidelines.  These proposals include:  (1) -revision of the use of categorical exceptions, (2) -revision of monitoring and mitigation procedures, (3)-consideration of Greenhouse Gases, and (4)-enhanced public tools for NEPA reporting.  The proposals to revise categorical exclusions and to require binding mitigation and monitoring requirements will cause substantial harm to commercial fishermen.  See the attachment below for greater detail.

CEQ’S NEPA Revision–Harm to Commercial Fishermen
What the NOC means for anglers
 

By Robert Montgomery
Special to ESPNOutdoors.com

This is a column … Continue Reading

 NRDC

 In endangered baleen whales, they [seismic airguns]  have been shown to both disrupt and mask communication – substantially compromising the animals’ ability to forage, find mates, and engage in other vital behavior – on population-level scales.

 Given the significance of the potential impacts, uncertainties in the emerging science, and the difficulty of detecting demographic impacts in many marine species, MMS should be required to consider a worse-case scenario when evaluating the potential for adverse population-level effects. 

CRE

 NRDC SHOULD ACCEPT NOAA/NMFS’ REJECTION OF NRDC’S SEISMIC COMMENTS

The Council on Environmental Quality is reviewing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement’s (“BOE”NEPA practices … Continue Reading

This is a column from Robert Montgomery for ESPN Outdoors. As a Senior Writer for BASS Publications, Montgomery has written about conservation, environment, and access issues for more than two decades. It’s part of a series of articles on the issue.

The deal is done and a structure is in place that could lead to the closure of at least some recreational fisheries.

As reported recently by ESPNOutdoors.com, President Barack Obama used an executive order to implement “Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force,” released on July 19. That 96-page document is as notable for what it does not … Continue Reading

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that NOAA will re-open 26,388 square miles of Gulf of Mexico waters to commercial and recreational fishing on July 29, 2010. This amounts to a third of the overall area closed as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout.

NOAA announced the reopening after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA  and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states.  NOAA’s press release explains, “Since mid-June, NOAA data have shown no oil in the area, and United States Coast Guard observers flying over the area … Continue Reading

Taipei, July 29 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday that plans for international forums on fishery and food security in Taipei next month are a sign that Taiwan is engaging itself more with the international community.

The International Fishers’ Forum (IFF) will gather officials and scholars from 25 countries from Aug. 3-5, while the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Security Forum will be held in Taiwan for the first time from Aug. 18-20, according to Lily Hsu, director-general of MOFA’s Department of International Organization.

The IFF will be co-hosted by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), a … Continue Reading

The Times-Picayune

Obama administration officials point to the Deepwater Horizon disaster as proof that the country needs the new comprehensive ocean policy it released last week, and the spill is certainly a dramatic example of the environment’s fragility and the overlapping interests at work off our shores. 

The BP spill has fouled beaches and wetlands, chased away tourists, closed fisheries and led to a blanket deepwater drilling moratorium — impacts that hit many people and many different economic sectors. It is a good illustration of the need for a comprehensive approach to managing and protecting the nation’s coasats, oceans and Great Lakes.

But … Continue Reading

From Fly Rod + Reel Online

Submitted by Ted Williams on Tue, 07/20/2010 – 12:01.

And of course, the bottom feeders are cursing him. This from the “More Dead Fish For Us” crowd:

“KING OBAMA” SIGNS OCEAN PROTECTION POLICY
Executive Order Circumvents Tired Old Democratic Process
(7/20/1010) Washington, DC – President Barack Obama used his presidential privilege on July 19 to circumvent the legislative process, signing a new ocean protection law that’s vastly similar to legislation which has languished in Congress for nearly a decade. While environmental groups are hailing it a momentous day for America’s oceans, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) said these are … Continue Reading

On July 14, 2010, the Office of the National Marine Sanctuaries of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration published Federal Register notice that it has initiated a review of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary management plan.  One purpose of this review is to evaluate substantive progress toward implementing the goals for the sanctuary.  Another purpose is to make revisions to its management plan and regulations as necessary to fulfill the purposes and policies of the NMSA and the Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary Act.

NOAA anticipates that completion of the revised management plan and concomitant documents will … Continue Reading

On June 30, 2010, several NGOs filed a complaint in a New Orleans federal court. Their complaint alleges that the Department of the Interior and what used to be the Minerals Management Service have violated several federal laws regulating the sue of seismic airguns during oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. A copy of their complaint is available online at a href=”http://www.thecre.com/pdf/NRDC%20v%20Salazar%20EDLA%20-%20Seismic1.pdf

Their complaint is either deliberately or negligently misleading. For example, their complaint alleges that in 2002

“endangered adult humpback whales were reported to have stranded in unusually high numbers along Brazil’s Abrolhos … Continue Reading

Several articles have identified marine spatial planning by a more informative title, ocean zoning.

Todd R. Burns is a District of Columbia and Maryland barred attorney specializing in renewable energy law and advocacy. Mr. Burns has worked in both the federal (EPA, CEQ, DOE) and the private sector (The Stella Group, Ltd), on a variety of issues including environmental law, information and privacy law, renewable energy, and National Environmental Policy Act litigation.

Attached is Peter Basanti’s comments on the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force report.

comment[1].doc (44 KB)

Attached are CRE’s comments on the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force.

CRE welcomes discussion and comment on its analysis.

In accord with the President’s emphasis on transparency and open government, CRE is posting a comment prepared by several dozen environmental organizations. The comment is attached hereto.The public is encouraged to comment on the comments made by the environmental groups. CRE will analyze the resultant comments and submit them to CEQ.

CRE has also submited comments on the President’s Ocean Zoning Inititative and they are available at http://www.thecre.com/creipd/?p=133

CRE also encourages the public to comment on CRE’s comments. In developing its comments, CRE provided the public with an opportunity to comment on a draft of the CRE comments; the comments CRE received … Continue Reading

CRE Brasil’s endorsement in its White Paper of Professor Sicialono’s conclusions in the Field Guide entitled, “Whales, River Dolphins, and Dolphins in the Campos Basin”(“Whale Report”), and request for inclusion in the International Whaling Commission’s agenda (IWC) is alarming. The conclusion reached in the Whale Report is that oil and gas exploration and production in the Campos Basin area do not constitute a threat to marine mammals. CRE Brasil’s endorsement is alarming because of the potential consequences of the Whale Report’s conclusion, which is based upon the premise that “everything is done with the greatest care” regarding oil and gas … Continue Reading

The landmark Brazilian study entitled: WHALES, RIVER DOLPHINS, AND DOLPHINS IN THE CAMPOS BASIN, BRAZIL was transmitted to the International Whaling Commission with recommendations by CRE Brazil. The recommendations included actions to further regulate whale watching and to emphasize protective measures : pollution preventiion, ship traffic and fishing and cease undue emphasis on seismic operations

CRE welcomes public comment om this discussion forum.

The two docments to comment on are attached herewith.

CRE Response to Comments on
Its Draft Analysis of Section 5 of E.O. 13158

We very much appreciate the comments on the CRE draft comments submitted by Mr. Wehrly and Ms. Hervic. Such comments are very useful in identifying potential errors, omissions, or the need for clarification. Below are our tentative responses to what we perceive as the main points in the comments. If the commenters believe we have misunderstood their points, or wish to make additional points, we presume that they will send us additional comments sufficiently prior to September 21, 2009 (when public comments to MMS are … Continue Reading

Comments
By Joëlle Hervic

Joëlle Hervic is a litigation attorney, specializing in environmental law. Ms. Hervic’s experience includes Clean Water Act, CERCLA, water law, global climate change, and human rights law. Ms. Hervic’s focus has been on environmental law as an Associate Attorney with an AmLaw 200 law firm, as a consultant with the World Bank and with Waterkeeper Alliance. As Senior Attorney with Waterkeeper Alliance, Ms. Hervic was responsible for addressing deficiencies in the regulation and enforcement of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay from agricultural sources, in particular from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.

Following is a response to CRE’s Working Draft Comments … Continue Reading

Comments on The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness Conclusions on OCS Leasing and MPAs.
Representing the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries (http://www.alliancefisheries.com)

I would like to provide comments on Mr. Tozzi’s “analysis” and also on comments regarding a response received from Mr. Steve Nelson of George Mason University.

My organization represents recreational and commercial fishing men and women of the Central Coast in California, along with their communities. We have a great deal of experience in dealing with California’s Marine Protected Area process, the designation and management of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the recent effort by the Monterey Sanctuary to … Continue Reading

Draft Proposed 5-year Outer Continental Shelf
Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2010

Comments on the Comments of The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness
By Stephen Wehrly

Mr. Wehrly is an attorney and lobbyist who in 2008 represented an international environmental advocacy organization in Washington, DC, on offshore drilling and related issues, and, for twelve years, an Indian Tribe in Washington state involved in regional environmental and natural resources issues. For 29 years, Mr. Wehrly lobbied legislative and rulemaking venues in Washington, DC, and Washington State on behalf of business, association, and citizen action clients. This paper presents the views and arguments of … Continue Reading

Herein I present recent information on the impacts of seismic activites on gray whales near Sakahlin, Russia.
– Steve Nelson

crc_sakhalin_1aug.doc (1004 KB)

There are currently 1,700 MPAs, designated and managed by federal, State, territorial and local agencies. Effectively balancing oil and gas development and production while ensuring the avoidance of harm to the environment becomes an overwheling task for the Department of the Interior. Would each (MPA) exploration case be examined in a case-by-case basis and how would decisions be made. The Department of the Interior would have to make a decision as to which is the current highest priority (i) oil and gas development and production, or (ii) avoiding harm to natural and cultural resources. From an … Continue Reading

As indicated on page 2 of the CRE report, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13158 on May 26, 2000. In May 2000, the approximate price of crude oil was $35.00 a barrel (inflation adjusted) and the stocl market was soaring with the Dow at approximately 11,000. Additionally, the geopolitical climate, in particular, America’s relationships with oil producing nations (e.g. Venezuela, Iran, etc.) was very different than it is today. I would argue, in fact, that when the D.C. Circuit Court ruled in 1981 in “State of California ex rel Brown” that development of oil and gas resources on the OCS … Continue Reading

The appended is “A Legal Perspective on the ‘Avoid Harm’ Provision of E.O. 13158.” I support any efforts to ensure the continued viability of the marine protected areas, and I also favor industrial development of America’s natural resources. I offer this paper to ensure that your legal arguments are sound when you go to Court, regardless of your perspective on environmental protection vs. development (if there has to be a “versus”).

-Catherine Park, Esq.

Legal Perspective on EO 13158.doc (48 KB)

This is an interesting area of research and law. The sample size of the studies, for example, 12 or 20 sperm whales, seem to be too small to extrapolate to the whale community at large. Also, are these whales from a singular pod, are they related? Is there a leader of this group? If so, any avoidance of the noises, or lack of avoidance could be due to the preferences of the leader, which would mean the studies are based on one whale, or whales that are related in any case. Also, my understanding is … Continue Reading

Herein I provide “Considerations regarding NOAA’s Proposed System of Marine Protected Areas: A review of recent comments from the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness.”
– Steve Nelson

MPA_Considerations.doc (354 KB)

CRE has sent the attached comments to the Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) in response to their Federal Register notice requesting public input on their updating of the 2007 document, “Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for
the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy.”

CRE requested that OSTP make all comments public as soon as possible so that they can be posted on the Ocean Zoning IPD. Once the comments are posted, CRE will invite all interested persons to comment on the public submissions. CRE will prepare a public report based on: … Continue Reading

CRE invites public comment on the following paper, attached hereto,  which will provide one basis for CRE supplying comments to MMS on its five year OCS program.

Short comments can be submitted by clicking on comments below; more detailed comments, particuarly if there is an attachment thereto, should be presented as a separate submission by “Submit a Post” to the right.

You can append an attachment to your separate submission by clicking on “Browse” to the right, which will allow you to download a file from your documents section.

MMS MPA Five Year Plan Conflict ….pdf … Continue Reading

CRE invites public comment on the following paper, attached hereto,  which will provide one basis for CRE supplying comments to MMS on its five year OCS program.

Short comments can be submitted by clicking on comments below; more detailed comments, particuarly if there is an attachment thereto, should be presented as a separate submission by “Submit  a Post” to the right.

You can append an attachment to your separate submission by clicking on “Browse” to the right, which will allow you to download a file from your documents section.

This is yet another grab for power by an out-of-control Federal Government. Does no one read the Constitution?

U.S. Constitution: Tenth Amendment
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
The Federal Government has plenty to do (like their jobs as outlined in the Constitution), without adding this juggernaut of new laws and the powers they deliver (out of the hands of the People and the States) to un-elected Bureaucrats.

If you are not aware that the US already uses ocean zoning in a great variety of ways, this new initiative might sound like additional government interference. But that is not the case. We already have ocean zoning but it is not well organized, nor does it balance the needs of the many sectors that depend upon ocean resources. The new initiative is a chance to achieve this balance. This initiative will make our use of our territorial waters more sustainable, more organized, more effective, more fair, and more beneficial to US citizens. Most important, … Continue Reading

What a crock of xxx  this is. With the problems of the Democrats in power it would seem that they would have some meaningful priorites instead of this enviornmental xxx .[editors note: please no profanity].

State-of-the art technology allows you to merely type a title in the box to the right, them type the text and scroll down to “Send” and click on it.

If you wish to include an attachment, click on “Browse”. download the attachment from your “documents” section on your computer and clck on “Upload Now”, then click on “Send”.

All post are anonymous unless resopondent types in name, email or organization.

There are a number of topics on this page dealing with ocean zoning. All posts on this site are interactive, simply click on” comments ” in upper left hand corner of this post … Continue Reading

NOAA’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Federal Advisory Committee has the responsibility for commenting on NOAA’s MPA program. Notwithstanding its well defined charter, NOAA is not using the committee to address major policy issues.

CRE has recommended that OSTP, working with OMB,  require that  federal advisory committees  give the public the right to comment on their proposed agendas.

What are your views?

Read the CRE comments in the attachment hereto.

FACA Ocean