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U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy - Joint Ocean Commission Initiative

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Figure 5.1 Alignment of Federal Regi<strong>on</strong>s Is Essential for Communicati<strong>on</strong>Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Protecti<strong>on</strong>Agency Regi<strong>on</strong>sU.S. Fish and WildlifeService Regi<strong>on</strong>sU.S. Army Corps ofEngineers Regi<strong>on</strong>sAlaska Hawaii Puerto Rico Alaska Hawaii Puerto Rico Alaska Hawaii Puerto RicoShown above are the existing regi<strong>on</strong>al management areas for three federal agencies. Because these areas do not coincide, it isdifficult for the agencies to coordinate and communicate about issues of comm<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>cern at the regi<strong>on</strong>al level. Furthermore,this lack of coordinati<strong>on</strong> impedes their ability to effectively interact with regi<strong>on</strong>al, state, territorial, tribal, and local entities <strong>on</strong> aregi<strong>on</strong>al basis.Recommendati<strong>on</strong> 5–3The President should form a task force of federal resource management agencies to developa proposal for adopti<strong>on</strong> and implementati<strong>on</strong> of comm<strong>on</strong> federal regi<strong>on</strong>al boundaries. Thetask force should solicit input from state, territorial, tribal, and local representatives.Any re-designati<strong>on</strong> of federal regi<strong>on</strong>s should be closely coordinated with the <strong>on</strong>goingprocess of establishing regi<strong>on</strong>al ocean councils. Although the regi<strong>on</strong>s may be of differentsizes and their boundaries may not be identical, they should be complementary to facilitatesmooth coordinati<strong>on</strong>.Meeting Regi<strong>on</strong>al Research and Informati<strong>on</strong> NeedsEven with greatly improved coordinati<strong>on</strong> am<strong>on</strong>g regi<strong>on</strong>al stakeholders and federal agencies,the movement toward an ecosystem-based management approach will require greaterknowledge about ocean and coastal ecosystems, including how human activities impactthese systems. Decisi<strong>on</strong> makers at all levels, especially local managers, require this informati<strong>on</strong>to develop and apply appropriate management measures. Improved coordinati<strong>on</strong>am<strong>on</strong>g federal and n<strong>on</strong>federal entities within a regi<strong>on</strong> will begin to help regi<strong>on</strong>al managerscommunicate their informati<strong>on</strong> needs to the instituti<strong>on</strong>s that fund and carry out researchand data gathering efforts. Notwithstanding these improvements, enhanced investmentswill also be needed to provide managers with the best available science, informati<strong>on</strong>,tools, and technology <strong>on</strong> which to base their decisi<strong>on</strong>s.Today, research targeted at regi<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>cerns, such as the origins of n<strong>on</strong>point sourcepolluti<strong>on</strong>, the impacts of development <strong>on</strong> coastal habitat and water quality, socioec<strong>on</strong>omictrends in coastal areas, or the impacts of global-scale processes <strong>on</strong> local resources, isseverely limited. Furthermore, the data that do exist are rarely translated into productsthat are useful to managers. As the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Research Council c<strong>on</strong>cluded in a 2002 report,Bridging Boundaries through Regi<strong>on</strong>al Marine Research, enhanced regi<strong>on</strong>al research and94 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY

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