Wear Blue for Oceans

The Value

Our oceans, coasts, Pacific Islands and Great Lakes are not just places of wonder and beauty -- they provide valuable jobs, food, energy resources, recreational and tourism opportunities. Our ocean and coastal waters also provide habitat for an incredible array of fish and wildlife. These waters have been central to our way of life as a maritime nation for generations. Healthy oceans, coasts and communities represent our heritage and our future.

Now is our chance to show the President that the public supports the establishment of the first ever national policy that will protect, maintain and restore the health of our ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems! - Aaron Viles - Gulf Restoration Network

The Problem

Currently, our ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources are managed by more than 20 federal agencies and administered through a web of more than 140 different and often conflicting laws and regulations. This complex legal system often results in inadequate management of public and private activities, such as pollution control, fishing and shipping. A strong national policy would help to untangle the regulatory jumble by guiding and coordinating the work of all government agencies and their activities affecting ocean resource management.

Solutions

On June 12, 2009 President Obama created a 23-member Ocean Policy Task Force to develop a first ever National Policy for our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. From August through November 2009 the Task Force hosted six public hearings around the nation (Alaska, the West Coast, the East Coast, the Pacific Islands, the Gulf Coast, and the Great Lakes) to gather public input on the need for a unifying National Policy for oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.  Public support at all of these hearings was overwhelmingly positive and supportive.  For more information, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov website.

Benefits of a strong national policy

Specifically a strong national policy would:

Enable agencies to better address water pollution problems;

Help to facilitate clean offshore energy, such as offshore wind turbines;

Design better and more cost effective coastal and wetland restoration programs;

Protect and restore natural areas to ensure healthy habitat for ocean and coastal fish and wildlife.

What you can do to help

The Task Force's final report to the President is out and signed, please take a moment to thank President Obama for making the National Ocean Policy a reality. Thank the President.