Voice Your Support for a Strong Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan
Reading Time 3 minutes Voice Your Support for a Strong Ocean Plan
The Draft Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan has been released! Anglers and all stakeholders who value our oceans have a critical opportunity to weigh in to support a plan that conserves places of high productivity and diversity, places that are essential to the resilience and function of the ecosystem – wild places that should be enjoyed by future generations.
The Mid-Atlantic is one of nine regional planning areas described under the National Ocean Policy (NOP), created through an Executive Order. Each region can establish a Regional Planning Body (RPB) consisting of federal, state, tribal and fishery management council representatives who work cooperatively to develop Regional Ocean Action Plans.
Scheduled for completion in September 2016, the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan is well underway, guided by two main goals:
- Healthy Ocean Ecosystem: Promote ocean ecosystem health, functionality and integrity through conservation, protection, enhancement, and restoration.
- Sustainable Ocean Uses: Plan and provide for existing and emerging ocean uses in a sustainable manner that minimizes conflicts, improves effectiveness and regulatory predictability, and supports economic growth.
How to be Heard
> Participate in the July 11 Public Webinar on the Draft Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan – 11am-1:30pm EST
> Attend an in-person listening session at one or more of the following locations.
- Tue. July 12 | Ocean Action Plan Open House in Virginia Beach, VA – 6-8pm at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
- Thu. July 14 | Ocean Action Plan Open House in West Long Branch, NJ – 6-8pm at Monmouth University in Pozycki Hall
- Tue. July 19 | Ocean Action Plan Open House in Ocean Pines, MD – 6-8pm at the Ocean Pines Library *
- Wed. July 20 | Ocean Action Plan Open House in Lewes, DE – 6-8pm at the Virden Retreat Center, University of Delaware *
- Wed. July 27 | Ocean Action Plan Open House in Selden, NY – 6-8pm at the Selden Community College, Babylon Student Center
* Wild Oceans Executive Director Pam Lyons Gromen will be in attendance at the Ocean Pines and Lewes open houses.
> Unable to attend the webinar or open houses? Email your comments directly to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body using MidAtlanticRPB@boem.gov.
For More Background
For more background information, please see:
- Draft Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan
- Mid-Atlantic Ocean Planning to Conserve Wildlife Hotspots: Anglers Weigh In – Wild Oceans Horizon Spring 2016 Newsletter (p. 4) by Wild Oceans Executive Director Pam Lyons Gromen
- “Ocean Planning” Offers Anglers An Opportunity We Should Take – Blog by Capt. John McMurray published February 12, 2016
