Tag Archives: Regional Ocean Partnership
NOPC Action Alert: Contact Your Members of Congress!
As the House of Representatives prepares to bring the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 to the floor for debate and an anticipated vote next week, a $33 billion amendment has been offered that includes a provision directing funds to NOAA’s Regional Ocean Partnership grant program.
The provision at issue, which has already received media attention, would direct $150 million for Regional Ocean Partnership grants.
NOAA has noted that the Regional Ocean Partnership grant program “was developed to advance effective coastal and ocean management through regional ocean governance, including the goals for national ocean policy and comprehensive ocean planning set out in the president’s Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, July 19, 2010.”
In response to the inclusion of the Regional Ocean Partnership funding provision in the amendment, Congressman Bill Flores of Texas has filed an amendment that would remove the language at issue.
In order to ensure that federal funds are not used as a mechanism to fund National Ocean Policy activities that Congress has not authorized and previously voted to suspend, we strongly encourage you and others in your network to contact Members of Congress and urge them to support the efforts being led by Congressman Flores to remove the Regional Ocean Partnership funding provision.
Action on the House floor may take place as early as Tuesday, January 15.
