An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Figure 3.2 The Foundations of a NewNational Ocean PolicyEffectiveGovernanceStructuresEcosystem-basedManagementImprovedScience forDecisionMakingemitted by human activities. 3 This has resulted inelevated concentrations of carbon dioxide in oceanwaters, impairing the ability of certain marine organismsto produce protective shells, with potentiallyprofound impacts on marine productivity and biodiversity.4 Armed with expanded research findings inthese areas and others, and with more comprehensiveocean observations, the nation’s leaders will beable to modify management strategies to more effectivelypredict and mitigate the potential impacts ofclimate change.Effective Ocean GovernanceNational ocean policy can only be implemented if aneffective governance system is in place. Many of theguiding principles defined in this chapter speakdirectly to this need. An effective governance systemwill be predictable, efficient, and accountable. Laws,policies, and programs must be well coordinated andeasily understood by regulated parties and the public.A comprehensive framework should be in placethat defines the appropriate roles for different levelsof government, the private sector, and citizens,promoting effective partnerships for managing ocean and coastal resources. Equallyimportant, decision makers and the public should be accountable for decisions andactions that affect the ocean and its resources.Participation by a broad sector of the public is essential to a successful ocean governancesystem. Facing an array of complex problems and competing desires, interestedparties must reach agreements on what actions are needed, which are of greatest priority,and how to implement decisions once they are made. Public input is critical to this decision-makingprocess so that all interests are fairly represented and support is built fromthe ground up. Without a truly participatory form of ocean governance, dispute and litigationare inevitable. At the same time, clear roles, jurisdictions, and authorities must bedelineated to avoid gridlock and allow progress.Today, no federal entity has the mission to evaluate the vast array of federal actionsaffecting ocean and coastal resources and to advocate for more effective approaches,prioritized investment, improved agency coordination, and program consolidation whereneeded. Nor is there a coherent national policy for ocean management that guides themissions of various federal agencies. A more unified federal voice is also needed in discussingpolicy options with the many nonfederal stakeholders.Not since the Stratton Commission in the 1960s has an opportunity such as thisexisted. One of the top priorities of this Commission is to instigate changes in oceangovernance that will result in tangible improvements, today and for future generations.Implementing an ecosystem-based management approach foroceans and coasts will require a strong foundation of effectivenational, regional, and local governance; improvements inresearch and monitoring to provide managers with soundinformation on which to base decisions; and a strengthenedstewardship ethic among all citizens, achieved through formaland informal education.Public EducationStrengthenedEducationalProgramsEducation has provided the skilled and knowledgeable workforce that made America aworld leader in technology, productivity, prosperity, and security. However, rampant illiteracyabout science, mathematics, and the environment now threaten the future of America,its people, and the oceans on which we rely.68 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY