In a recent regionwide poll conducted by Edge Research, 66 percent of New Englanders support the implementation of a regional ocean plan. Just 54 percent felt the ocean was in good health – a lukewarm response, at best. And while those polled expressed only a modest belief in that the ocean was thriving, the poll showed that the majority of New Englanders prioritized improving ocean health as a means to allow coastal communities to continue to succeed, and that economic decisions are made with conservation in mind.

Clearly, many in New England are eagerly awaiting the final Northeast Ocean Plan, and have high hopes for its ability to improve, preserve, and protect our region’s ocean and the communities that depend on it.

What’s Next?

On Monday, July 25, the public comment period closed for the draft Northeast Ocean Plan. The summer saw an expansive public outreach effort by the Northeast Regional Planning Body (RPB), with public meetings held in each coastal New England state. It’s a safe assumption that many are wondering, “What’s next for the Northeast Ocean Plan?”

During the course of its 60-day comment period, the RPB collected an enormous number of comments – both verbal and written – offering praise for the document as well as constructive input about how the draft ocean plan can be improved in terms of data, best agency practices, and commitments to better engage stakeholders.

With the comment period behind them, the RPB is currently compiling all of this public input for consideration, with a goal of producing a final draft for approval from the National Ocean Council by the end of this fall, before the end of the Obama administration.

But who exactly is in the National Ocean Council and how will the approval process happen?

The White House has stated that much of the president’s cabinet and many other influential individuals are members of the National Ocean Council, including:

• Secretaries of: State, Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Commerce, Labor, Transportation, Energy, and Homeland Security

• Attorney General

• Administrators of the EPA and NASA

• Chairs of: The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff

• NOAA Administrator

• and more

According to the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force (the group charged with developing recommendations to enhance national stewardship of the ocean), once the final draft of the Northeast Ocean Plan is received by the National Ocean Council, the council will review the document to confirm that the plan achieves the following specifications:

• Does the ocean plan comply with the tenets of the National Ocean Policy?

• Does it achieve the goals and principles provided in the Interagency Task Force’s guidelines and recommendations?

• Does the ocean plan align with the national objectives and guidance provided by the National Ocean Council?

• Do the performance measures defined in the draft regional plan complement and parallel those established by the National Ocean Council?

In its final stages of editing, the RPB must strike a balance between incorporating consistent themes heard throughout the public comment period, as is practical, while also ensuring that the final draft embraces and aligns with standards predetermined by the National Ocean Policy and the framework provided by the Interagency Task Force.

We look forward to seeing the final draft of the Northeast Ocean Plan this fall, and we are confident that such a balance can be achieved – and that we will see the nation’s first regional ocean plan implemented by the end of the year.

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