Tag Archives: Northeast Regional Ocean Plan

Last two public hearings for Northeast Regional Ocean Plan – tonight in R.I., tomorrow night in Maine

oceanpolicy-crop-300x185A plan to improve (?) management facets of the ocean and coasts of the northeastern U.S. states is headed for its final public hearings in Rhode Island and Maine. The second-to-last hearing about the Northeast Regional Ocean Plan is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Coastal Institute of the University of Rhode Island in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The last one is Thursday night at Glickman Library of the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. The ocean plan is an outgrowth of the National Ocean Policy established by presidential executive order in 2010. It deals with many aspects of ocean planning, including marine life and habitat, commercial and recreational fishing and discusses national security. Website for the Northeast Regional Planning Body click here 13:11

Federal ocean planning effort met with skepticism in New Bedford

george_carlin_dont_trust_government_memeNo commercial fishermen attended a Wednesday meeting about a new ocean planning initiative, and a local port leader warned that mistrust of the government — widespread on the waterfront — could be spurring skepticism about the federal effort to gather and utilize public input. State and federal officials including Betsy Nicholson of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) led the event, which drew about 20 people to a third-floor room in New Bedford’s downtown library. The intent was to hear public comment on the draft Northeast Regional Ocean Plan. The plan culminates a four-year effort to compile input from numerous marine industries, environmental groups, public and private officials, tribal entities and others, across all six New England states, for a document that could guide future ocean planning. Read the rest here 18:19