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

• Multiple Use Management: The many potentially beneficial uses of ocean andcoastal resources should be acknowledged and managed in a way that balancescompeting uses while preserving and protecting the overall integrity of the ocean andcoastal environments.• Preservation of Marine Biodiversity: Downward trends in marine biodiversity shouldbe reversed where they exist, with a desired end of maintaining or recovering naturallevels of biological diversity and ecosystem services.• Best Available Science and Information: Ocean policy decisions should be based onthe best available understanding of the natural, social, and economic processes thataffect ocean and coastal environments. Decision makers should be able to obtain andunderstand quality science and information in a way that facilitates successful managementof ocean and coastal resources.• Adaptive Management: Ocean management programs should be designed to meetclear goals and provide new information to continually improve the scientific basisfor future management. Periodic reevaluation of the goals and effectiveness of managementmeasures, and incorporation of new information in implementing futuremanagement, are essential.• Understandable Laws and Clear Decisions: Laws governing uses of ocean andcoastal resources should be clear, coordinated, and accessible to the nation’s citizensto facilitate compliance. Policy decisions and the reasoning behind them should alsobe clear and available to all interested parties.• Participatory Governance: Governance of ocean uses should ensure widespreadparticipation by all citizens on issues that affect them.• Timeliness: Ocean governance systems should operate with as much efficiency andpredictability as possible.• Accountability: Decision makers and members of the public should be accountablefor the actions they take that affect ocean and coastal resources.• International Responsibility: The United States should act cooperatively with othernations in developing and implementing international ocean policy, reflecting thedeep connections between U.S. interests and the global ocean.These principles underlie all the <strong>Commission</strong>’s recommendations, and their fullimplementation will lead the nation toward a future where the benefits of the oceans andcoasts are fully realized and the problems plaguing these areas are minimized.Creating a Strong Role for StatesBased on the charge of the Oceans Act of 2000, the <strong>Commission</strong> has recommended actionsto achieve a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy at all levels of government—includingfederal, state, and local—and has called for enhanced partnerships amongfederal agencies and state and local stakeholders. The <strong>Commission</strong> sees a central role forstates in ocean and coastal management and identifies many opportunities for them tocontribute to an integrated national ocean policy. The President’s Council of Advisors onOcean Policy, a high-level advisory body to be appointed by the President, should serve asone important formal structure for input from nonfederal individuals and organizations,including governors of coastal states, additional state, territorial, tribal, and local governmentrepresentatives, and others.Some of the important areas for state involvement, as discussed throughout thereport, include:• formal and informal ocean education at all levels, including outreach to underrepresentedand underserved communities.CHAPTER 31: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS473