# Presentation: 228024

## The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP) and the Administration Response A Presentation to the NOAA Science Advisory Board

**Dr. Richard Spinrad **
- Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service
- Co-Chair, NOAA Ocean Council
- March 22, 2005

## Purpose

- Update the SAB on recent Ocean Action Plan activities
- Engage the SAB on scientific issues

## Issues

**	****Develop an Administration-wide Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy. **
- Framework due by March 31, 2005; Detailed plan and strategy due by December 31, 2006.
- Framework, and subsequent drafts, will be provided to the SAB for comment

## USCOP Background

- The first major review of Ocean Policy in 35 years
- 1969 Stratton Commission led to the creation of NOAA
- Oceans Act of 2000 established USCOP
- Commission appointed by Bush (43); led by former Bush (41) Energy Secretary Admiral James Watkins

**Notes:**
As I said, the US Ocean Commission recently finished its review of ocean policy, and this has been the first review of its kind in 35 years.

The last Commission to do such a review was the Stratton Commission in 1969.  One major recommendation led to the creation of NOAA.  Other major actions resulting from the Stratton Commission included:
- Passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which is the primary statute granting the Dept of Commerce authority to manage fish in federal waters
- passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act, which provides authority to assist states in managing their coasts
- passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which provide authority (shared with DOI) to manage marine mammals.

As you can see, the last time this kind of review was done, it had a major impact on how we manage our oceans.

The Oceans Act of 2000 created the USCOP.  Although all of the 16 members were appointed by the current President, the Act specified 12 of the 16 members come from a bi-partisan list developed by the House and Senate.

The Commission was Chaired by ADM James Watkins.  He was President Reagan's Chief of Naval Operations and President George H.W. Bush’s Secretary of Energy.  He was also Chairman of Reagan's Presidential Commission on AIDS.

## USCOP Commissioners 

- Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret.) Chairman
- Robert Ballard, PhD
- Mr. Ted A. Beattie
- Mrs. Lillian Borrone
- Dr. James M. Coleman
- Ms. Ann D’Amato
- Mr. Lawrence Dickerson
- Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, USN (Ret.)
- Professor Marc J. Hershman
- Mr. Paul L. Kelly
- Mr. Christopher Koch
- Dr. Frank Muller-Karger
- Mr. Edward B. Rasmuson
- Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg
**Mr. William D. Ruckelshaus**
- Dr. Paul A. Sandifer
- Mr. Thomas R. Kitsos, Executive Director

**Notes:**
Here are the 16 Commissioners.

[Note: Commissioner Ruckelshaus, highlighted in blue,  is also a member of the SAB]

They included members from industry, academia, the military, and local, state, and federal government.

One Commissioner, Dr. Paul Sandifer, is a current NOAA employee in the National Ocean Service, although when appointed he was with the State of South Carolina.

## USCOP Science Advisory panel

- Donald F. Boesch, Ph.D.
- Ken Brink, Ph.D.
- Daniel W. Bromley, Ph.D.
**Otis Brown, Ph.D.**
- Biliana Cicin-Sain, Ph.D.
- Robert A. Frosch, Ph.D.
- Robert B. Gagosian, Ph.D.
- J. Frederick Grassle, Ph.D.
- D. Jay Grimes, Ph.D.
**Susan Hanna, Ph.D.**
- Ray Hilborn, Ph.D.
- DeWitt John, Ph.D.
- Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.

- Marcia McNutt, Ph.D.
- Jacqueline Michel, Ph.D.
- Edward L. Miles, Ph.D.
- Michael K. Orbach, Ph.D.
- John A. Orcutt, Ph.D.
- Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D.
- David B. Prior, Ph.D.
- Andrew R. Solow, Ph.D.
- Robert Spindel, Ph.D.
**Carolyn A. Thoroughgood, Ph.D.**
- Sharon Walker, Ph.D.
- Warren M. Washington, Ph.D.
- Robert M. White, D.Sc.

**Notes:**
Three members of the USCOP Science Advisory panel (highlighted in BLUE on the slide) are current members of the NOAA SAB.

[Note: Below is the current membership of SAB from their website]

CHAIRDr. Leonard J. PietrafesaDirector of External AffairsCollege of Physical & Mathematical SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityBox 8201, 118 CoxRaleigh, NC 27695-8208Mr. David BlaskovichSales & Marketing ExecutiveWeather & Environmental MarketsHigh Performance ComputingIBM Corporation519 Crocker AvenuePacific Grove, CA 93950Dr. Otis BrownDean, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of Miami4600 Rickenbacker CausewayMiami, FL 33149-1098Dr. Susan HannaProfessor, Dept. Ag. and Resource EconomicsOregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR 97331-3601 Mr. Michael KeebaughVice President, Raytheon Company1200 South Jupiter RoadGarland, TX 75042 Dr. Berrien MooreDirector, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and SpaceMorse HallUniv. of New Hampshire39 College RoadDurham, NH 03824-3525 

Dr. Jake RiceFisheries and Oceans CanadaCanadian Stock Assessment Secretariat200 Kent StreetOttawa, Ontario, Canada K1A OE6Mr. Bill RuckleshausMadrona Venture Group1000 Second AvenueSuite 3700Seattle, WA 98104Dr. John T. SnowDean, College of GeosciencesUniversity of OklahomaSarkeys Energy Center, Suite 710100 E Boyd StreetNorman, OK 73019-0628Dr. Denise M. Stephenson-HawkChairman, The Stephenson Group 1201 Peachtree Street 400 Colony Square Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30361Dr. Carolyn ThoroughgoodVice Provost for ResearchUniversity of Delaware210 Hullihen Hall
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORDr. Michael UhartNOAA Science Advisory BoardRoom 11142 (Route R/SAB)1315 East-West HighwaySilver Spring, MD 20910-3282Phone: (301) 713-9121Fax: (301) 713-3515E-mail: Michael.Uhart@noaa.gov

## An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century

- Final report: September 20, 2004, includes comments from 37 Governors
- 31 Issue-based chapters
- 212 recommendations
- 60 specific to NOAA
- NOAA is recognized as the nation’s lead civilian ocean agency
- Administrations response released December 17th

**Notes:**
Sixty recommendations in the report were specific to NOAA, more than any other federal agency.
In addition, seven other recommendations affected groups of which NOAA is a member, such as the Coral Reef Task Force or the National Dredging Team.

EPA is the closest to NOAA, with 22 recommendations

For many reasons, the USCOP identifies NOAA as the nations lead civilian ocean agency

The Oceans Act of 2000 required the Administration to respond within 90 days of release of the final report, which would have been December 20; the Administration beat that deadline by 3 days, releasing an Executive and the Ocean Action Plan on December 17.

## Key USCOP Recommendations

- Ecosystem Based Management
- Improved Governance
- Sound Science
- Education
- Specific Issue Based Recommendations
- Implementation & Ocean Policy Trust Fund

**Notes:**
The USCOP utilized a number of Overarching Themes in their Final Report:
Ecosystem based management:
Ecosystem management means, to the extent possible, basing our management system on ecosystem boundaries, rather than political boundaries.
Improved governance:
The Commission noted that the current management regime is not up to the task of managing our oceans. The current regime is not coordinated or comprehensive, in part due to the isolated nature in which the various management systems were developed (i.e. fisheries separate from OCS separate from Marine Transportation separate from Marine Mammals etc).
Sound Science:
The Commission emphasized that decision-makers are shackled by a lack science-based information to help them manage Ocean & Coastal resources.  In fact, the USCOP recommended doubling of the federal budget for ocean related scientific research.
Education:
The American public is woefully ignorant of ocean issues and this is a contributing factor to many of the problems identified in the report.
The USCOP believes that critical part to the success of all of their recommendations will require a strong ocean education program, not just in schools, but of the public at large as well.
Specific Recommendations:
As well as these broad themes, the USCOP also made very specific recommendations in a wide range of issue areas, such as fisheries, marine transportation, coastal habitat loss, marine pollution, science and data management, and others.
Implementation & Trust Fund:
Finally, the USCOP developed a phased implementation strategy and recommended specific funding sources to pay for all of their recommendations, including the creation of an Ocean Policy Trust Fund within the US Treasury.
The total ongoing annual costs of the Commission recommendations total about $3.9 billion.  The USCOP identified funds received from offshore oil and gas revenues, about $4 billion per year, to pay for their recommendation.

## Administration Response

- Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) leads Interagency Ocean Policy Group
- NOAA, via the NOAA Ocean Council, provided input to CEQ
- Executive Order & ***U.S. Ocean Action Plan*** released December 17, 2004

**Notes:**
Here is a picture of the signing of the December 17, 2004 Executive Order.  From the left: 
Lautenbacher, 
Evans,
Bush, 
Connaughton, 
Lynn Scarlet (Assistant Secretary of the Interior who handles policy, management and budget), 
Watkins

Developing the administrations response:
Soon after the preliminary report was released in April 2004,  CEQ tasked the agencies with identifying low or no cost initiatives that were responsive to the report and could be implemented in the near-term.  These agency proposals formed the basis of the administrations response.
CEQ set up the Interagency Ocean Policy Group,  to aid it in developing The President’s response.

IOPG [if asked who is on it]: 
The IOPG department and agency members include: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, State, and Transportation plus the Environmental Protection Agency, the Marine Mammal Commission, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, (Stephanie Bailenson and Scott Rayder of NOAA represented the Department at the IOPG level)
proposals reviewed by the NOC
NOC Co-chairs Bill Hogarth and Rick Spinrad led the technical review and comment on IOPG proposals for NOAA.
Executive Order
The Administrations response consisted of a Presidential Executive Order calling for a cabinet-level Commission on Ocean Policy, and the release of the U.S. Ocean Action Plan identifying key focus areas for the administration in implementation of USCOP recommendations.

## Ocean Action Plan -- Themes

**I. Enhancing Ocean Leadership and Coordination**
**II. Advancing Our Understanding of the Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes**
**III. Enhancing the Use and Conservation of Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Resources**

**IV. Managing Coasts and Their Watersheds**
**V. Supporting Marine Transportation**
**VI. Advancing International Ocean Policy and Science**

**Notes:**
These are the 6 major headings identified in the President’s Ocean Action Plan.
The Action Plan has dozens of measures of which most are of direct or indirect interest to NOAA.  

NOAA will play a vital role in many of the action items detailed under these 6 headings. 

The following slides will present a little more detail under these major heading and highlight a few, but not all, of the actions important to NOAA

## Enhancing Ocean Leadership and Coordination

Committee on Ocean Policy and associated groups
NOAA Organic Act
Regional Partnerships

- Committee on Ocean Policy and associated groups
- NOAA Organic Act
- Regional Partnerships

**II. Advancing Our Understanding of the Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes**
- Ocean Research Plan
- Ocean Observation
- Water Quality
- Mapping
- Education

**Ocean Action Plan**

**Notes:**
I will discuss the new Committee on Ocean Policy in the next slide.
With regards to a NOAA Organic Act, an Administration bill was introduced last year in the 108th Congress, and will be reintroduced in 109 with some minor changes.
I. The Organic Act –  
Establishes NOAA within DOC
Outlines the major purposes of NOAA: (1) observe, assess and predict the status of and changes in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems, and in the atmosphere, including the near-space environment; (2) manage, protect and restore the Nation’s ocean, coastal and Great Lakes areas, living and nonliving marine resources, (3) collect, store, analyze and provide reliable scientific data and information ... that can be used as a basis for sound management and public safety decisions; (4) protect lives and property and expand economic opportunities; and (5) pursue its purposes ... in partnership with, Federal agencies...State and local governments; Native American tribes and organizations; international organizations; foreign governments; [and others], as appropriate.
Regional Partnerships – The Action Plan identifies several measures that promote the use of regional partnerships.

II. Advancing Understanding - 
The Action Plan recognizes the USCOP emphasis on the need for better and more information if we are to improve ocean management.
The plan calls for: (1) development of an interagency ocean research plan (2) Improving ocean observation, which includes GEOSS, IOOS as well as investing in new research and survey platforms, satellites, submersibles, and other exploration survey vessels. (3) Water quality: includes both a national water quality network as well as better understanding of the links between Oceans and Human Health and HAB’s.

## Enhancing Governance

**Notes:**
The President’s Ocean Action Plan does change the white house ocean governance structure, but in a different manner than the USCOP recommended.  However, this structure responds to many of the USCOP’s major recommendations with regards to high level coordination among agencies.
The top level group in the new white house ocean governance structure is a new Committee on Ocean Policy within the CEQ.  This is a Cabinet level structure, and you, as SEC DOC, would be a member.  CEQ hopes to have a meeting of this group in a matter of weeks, as soon as the Cabinet is confirmed.
The Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration in the center, would likely be composed of agency heads, but this is less certain.  This group may supersede the NOPP, but this would require legislation
The only other completely new structure created in the Executive Order and Ocean Action Plan is on the lower right – the interagency working group on Ocean resource Management.
The other 3 groups either already exist (NSC) or exist in a slightly different form (ORAP and JSO(ST))
The two bottom level structures, the JSOST and the IWGORM, are expected to be the workhorse bodies, with the other groups meeting on an as needed basis. NOAA and the National Science Foundation co-chair the existing Joint Subcommittee on Oceans.

## Advancing Understanding

- Build Integrated Ocean Observing System
- 		-coordinate with GEOSS
- Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science & Technology (JSOST) is develop a plan for interagency ocean research priorities
- Framework by March 31, 2005
- Final by December 31, 2006
- Integrated ocean mapping initiative
- Advance international capacity building
- 		-tsunami response
- Create new NOAA Education Office
- Ocean Action Plan education initiatives

**Notes:**
Integrated Ocean Observing System: 
The Ocean Action Plan, as recommended by the Commission, places a major emphasis on Improving Ocean Observations here and abroad.  You will be receiving a separate briefing on this so I will not go into detail here other than to say this is already a major Administration priority and substantial progress has and will continue to be made to meet this goal.
Ocean Research Priorities: 
The JSOST will develop a Framework for an Oceans Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy by March 31 of 2005, followed by a detailed plan and strategy by December 31, 2006.
Ocean Mapping:
The JSOST will lead the effort to coordinate federal and federally supported mapping activities for the US coastal and marine 	environment. Including an annual inventory of ocean and coastal mapping programs, assessment on common and shared needs for development of coordinated programs, leveraging federal resources with industry, academic, NGO and non-federal entities.
International capacity: 
Although the US is in relatively good shape with regards to Ocean Observations, this is not the case for many other countries.  Part of the Ocean Action Plan will help alleviate this problem by providing resources to improve capacity in many developing countries.
Link to recent Tsunami disaster: [optional]
Improvements in Ocean Observation systems and Education would have gone a long way in improving the recent Tsunami response.  First, having reliable and accurate sensors would have provided advanced warning; second, improved public education would have meant that more people would have known how to recognize the signs of an impending Tsunami, when the water suddenly receded from the shores in the Indian Ocean.
NOAA Education Office: 
In addition to improving data collection via ocean observing systems, we need to be better at providing this information to managers and the public.  At NOAA, we have created a new education office to coordinate our activities in this area.  This will support the 	newly established COP’s efforts in coordinating federal education and outreach activities.
Other Education Initiatives: The Administration’s plan also includes 3 education initiatives: (1) working with the Smithsonian Institution, (2) creation of a Coastal America Center Network, and (3) international expansion of our Sea Grant program.

## III. Enhancing the Use and Conservation of Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Resources

Sustainable Fisheries
Coral Conservation
Protected Species
Aquaculture
Marine Managed Areas
Maritime Heritage

- Sustainable Fisheries
- Coral Conservation
- Protected Species
- Aquaculture
- Marine Managed Areas
- Maritime Heritage

**IV. Managing Coasts and       Their Watersheds**
- Coastal & Watershed Management
- Coastal Habitat
- Invasive species
- Water Pollution

**Ocean Action Plan**

**Notes:**
The next 2 sections of the Ocean Action Plan deal with improvements to use of marine and coastal resources.

In the next slide I will highlights on a couple of items of particular interest....

## Ocean Resources & Coastal Watersheds

- Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization
- Offshore Aquaculture Legislation
- NW Hawaiian Islands Coral Reserve
- Community Watershed Workshops

**Notes:**
The Ocean Action Plan suggest several changes to the MSFCMA:
-Promote the use of market-based mechanism, called Individual Fishing Quotas as a management tool to improve conservation of fisheries
-Balance Council representation to include a broader portion of interested parties
-Improve data acquisition methods to provide better information to managers
- Developing standard and transparent Procedures for incorporation of science in fisheries management
Aquaculture
The Ocean Action Plan details action to advance marine aquaculture. In the 109th Congress, the Administration will propose a National Offshore Aquaculture Act that provides the Department of Commerce clear authority to regulate offshore aquaculture. 
NWHI
The Ocean Action Plan identifies ongoing efforts to continue to move toward creation of our nations 14th Marine Sanctuary in the Hawaiian Island. When created, it will become the largest marine sanctuary and be one of the largest marine protected areas in the world [Note: Senator Inouye of Hawaii is the new ranking member of the Commerce Committee. The Administration is also working on a bill to that will  reauthorize the Marine Sanctuaries Act that should be ready soon.]
Community Watershed:
The Ocean Action Plan also calls for NOAA to work with the EPA on a series of Community watershed workshops to learn from the public their concerns and needs for watershed and coastal management.  These workshops will help us develop the next generation of CZMA.  We will work with constituents, including congress, if any legislation on the CZMA is introduced in this Congress.
Wetlands: [optional] Another notable item in the Ocean Action Plan is the existing Presidential policy of  a net-gain of wetlands standards.   Also of interest, there is a Gulf of Maine habitat restoration strategy, which may be of interest to Senator Snowe (R-ME), the Chair of the Oceans, Fisheries and Coast Subcommittee.

## Ocean Action Plan

**V. Supporting Marine Transportation**
- Improving Marine Transportation
- Freight Action
- Vessel Pollution

**VI. Advancing International Ocean Policy and Science**
- Law of the Sea Accession
- White Water to Blue Water
- Discharges at Sea
- Large Marine Ecosystems
- Global Marine Assessment

**Notes:**
The last two sections of the Action Plan discuss measures to improve marine transportation and advance international ocean policy and science. 

Although the next slide goes into more detail on a few of these issues, I wanted to briefly highlight LME’s as an important concept to NOAA.  This is a guiding concept within NOAA that is helping us to reach out to our international partners.

## Marine Transportation & International Efforts

- Elevate Interagency Committee on Marine Transportation System to cabinet level
- Champion accession to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
- Support MARPOL Annex VI ratification; will enter into force on March 19th

**Notes:**
Interagency Committee on Marine Transportation System
To improve federal management of the MTS the Action Plan elevates the Interagency Committee on the Marine Transportation System to a cabinet level committee to oversee federal MTS coordination and policies.
UNCLOS
The very first action of the USCOP was to recommend that the US accede to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.  The Administration will continue to push for Senate action on this item.
MARPOL Annex VI
This annex establishes a framework for addressing air pollution from ship.
The Admin will work with Congress toward US ratification.

The Ocean Action Plan includes many other items that are of great interest to NOAA, but these last few slides have given you a sample of what is included in this plan.  I will now go on to some items that have yet to be resolved, including where does the Administration and NOAA go from here.

## NOAA Coordination & Views

**NOAA Ocean Council coordinates Agency actions related to the USCOP and the Ocean Action Plan**
- NOS & NMFS are Co-Chairs
**NOAA has a major role in the new Ocean Action Plan Structure**
- Co-chairs on both the JSOST and the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Resource Management

## Desired Outcomes

**Science Advisory Board input on:**
- Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy.
- Framework by March 31, 2005.
- Detailed plan and strategy by December 31, 2006.