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

CHAPTER 24MANAGING OFFSHORE ENERGYAND OTHER MINERAL RESOURCESChapter 6 recommended development of a coordinated offshore managementregime that would be comprehensive, transparent, and predictable, bring a fairreturn to the public, and promote a balance between economic and environmentalconsiderations. The management of nonliving resources in federal waters raisesmany of the same fundamental policy questions. From the well developed,but politically contentious, outer Continental Shelf oil and gas program tonew and emerging offshore uses that lack comprehensive managementregimes, much can be learned. But much work also remains in developinga consistent system for unlocking the treasures of the seawhile protecting the marine environment and providing affectedparties a voice in decisions.Exercising Jurisdiction over NonlivingResources in Federal WatersIn addition to its responsibilities for living marine resources, thefederal government also exercises jurisdiction over nonlivingresources, energy and other minerals located in the waters andseabed of the more than 1.7 billion acres of the outer ContinentalShelf (OCS). Offshore oil and gas development has the most matureand broadest management structure of all such resources. It also hasthe longest and richest history, characterized by major changes to theunderlying law that established the more comprehensive administrativeregime, as well as intense political conflict resulting from divisions amongstakeholders and tensions inherent in American federalism. The developmentof other ocean energy resources—some of which are newly emerging technologies—havediffering levels of management, but none are currently making any noteworthycontributions to domestic production numbers. Historically, there also have beenvarying expressions of commercial interest in non-energy minerals in the U.S. exclusiveeconomic zone (EEZ), but only sand and gravel have been used in recent years by coastalstates and communities, because of a change which eased access to those resources.Managing Offshore Oil and Gas ResourcesAs noted in Chapter 2, from its beginning, the federal offshore oil and gas program facedcontroversy over ownership issues, as states unsuccessfully sued the federal government352A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY