26-Jul-2010: USA establishes National Ocean Council

On July 19th, 2010, President Barak Obama signed an Executive establishing the National Ocean Council. The Executive Order established for the first time a comprehensive, integrated National Policy for the stewardship of the ocean, USA coasts,and Great Lakes, which sets the USA on a path toward comprehensive planning forthe preservation and sustainable uses of these bodies of water. The Executive Order can be downloaded through this link . [read more ]

It is the Policy of the United States To:

• Protect, maintain, and restore the health and biological diversity of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources;
• Improve the resiliency of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems, communities, and economies;
• Bolster the conservation and sustainable uses of land in ways that will improve the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems;
• Use the best available science and knowledge to inform decisions affecting the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes, and enhance humanity’s capacity to understand, respond, and adapt to a changing global environment;
• Support sustainable, safe, secure, and productive access to, and uses of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes;
• Respect and preserve our Nation’s maritime heritage, including our social, cultural, recreational, and historical values;
• Exercise rights and jurisdiction and perform duties in accordance with applicable international law, including respect for and preservation of navigational rights and freedoms, which are essential for the global economy and international peace and security;
• Increase scientific understanding of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems as part of the global interconnected systems of air, land, ice, and water, including their relationships to humans and their activities;
• Improve our understanding and awareness of changing environmental conditions, trends, and their causes, and of human activities taking place in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters; and
• Foster a public understanding of the value of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes to build a foundation for improved stewardship.

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Created on: Monday, 26 July 2010 12:41

Last Updated on: Monday, 01 July 2013 12:20