Response to US Commision on Ocean Policy report

Mon, May 3, 2004

On April 21, The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy released their preliminary report to the nation's governors. The report, which comes on the heels of last year's Pew Oceans Commission Report, finds that pollution, over-fishing, increased coastal development, altered sediment flow and dramatic declines in water quality have significantly impacted the health and safety of our oceans, waves and beaches.

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, created as part of the Oceans Act of 2000, is undertaking an 18-month study after which it will make recommendations to the President and Congress for a national ocean policy. The Commission's recommendations are mandated to address issues ranging from the stewardship of marine resources, and pollution prevention, to enhancing and supporting marine science, commerce, and transportation.

The report and more information are available at: http://www.oceancommission.gov/

To review Surfrider documents and testimony by Oregon Surfrider members, go to
http://www.surfrider.org/specialplaces/commission.htm

To take action and write your governor
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/ocean_commission

To review Surfrider - Oregon's recommendations about water quality, Click Here.

Previous preliminary posting regarding the Ocean Commission Report
(April 21, 2004):

The US Commission on Ocean Policy preliminary report became available on the morning of Monday, April 19, 2004 online at http://www.oceancommission.gov/

Response to the U.S. Commission's preliminary report and its statements on offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters: (prepared by Richard Charter, Marine Conservation Advocate, Environmental Defense):

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP) preliminary report correctly recognizes that America's coastal waters are suffering adverse impacts from harmful non-point water pollution and are concurrently experiencing alarming declines in important fisheries and marine ecosystems, primarily as a result of overfishing. In addition to acknowledging these danger signals from current human activities, the Commission's report goes on to emphasize the need to better understand the cumulative and long term impacts of offshore oil and gas development, especially from low levels of persistent organic and inorganic chemicals and their cumulative or synergistic effects on the marine environment.

The USCOP preliminary report describes the process by which the present bipartisan congressional and presidential offshore drilling protections have been put into place and sustained over time, while the report makes no specific recommendations regarding these protections. The USCOP report does not recommend proceeding with exploration in protected U.S. waters nor does it advocate proceeding with a so-called "inventory" of moratorium waters using damaging subsea seismic survey airgun blasts, as had been previously promoted by drafters of the Administration's failed 2003 energy bill in Congress. The USCOP report recommends that a comprehensive study of the adverse impacts of acoustic activities in the ocean be conducted. The USCOP report does emphasize that governors of coastal states, local communities, and fishing interests should become more directly involved by the federal government in decisions affecting their coastlines, and the Commission further recommends the reauthorization of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) which enables such consultation.

The report and more information are available at: http://www.oceancommission.gov/