States, Territories, and Commonwealths and the U.S. Commission on Ocean

Policy

Tom Skinner, Director Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

September 5, 2003

Ocean Management

Issues in States, Territories, and

Commonwealths

CSO recommendations focus on changes at the federal level, with states, territories, and commonwealths partners in stewardship, management, and research

Jurisdictions have many common management issues, but focus on local or regional priorities

States, territories, and commonwealths have moved in to fill federal policy voids

Within a new national framework, states and regions have the opportunity to lead by example

States, territories, and commonwealths have moved forward on a number of coastal and ocean

management issues…

…including mountains-to-offshore waters comprehensive planning, cruise ship waste

management, ocean zoning, offshore energy production, sediment management, ecosystem

research, and habitat protection

A States Initiative for Regional Cooperation and Management: the Gulf of Maine Council

on the Marine Environment Voluntary association of MA, NH, ME, NS, and NB, and Canadian and U.S. federal agencies Focus on ecosystem health, but the Council also works on emerging issues, such as ocean zoning The Council has provided the institutional framework for GoMOOS, RARGOM, & NOAA community-based restoration grants

Challenges of Increased Demand on Ocean Resources

Absence of comprehensive ocean management

A “first come, first served” reactive approach to use allocation

Difficult to plan for or implement detailed ecosystem management

Zoning of private land accepted but no equivalent to manage access to and use of ocean resources

Proliferation of more exclusive use projects and activities

Increase in Ocean Uses in

Massachusetts Waters Characterized by shallow

offshore waters Relatively small, densely

populated state with numerous research institutions

Proximity to Nova Scotia, Europe across the Gulf of Maine

Optimal offshore wind patterns

Heavy recreational use An incubator for many new

marine-related technologies and the perfect breeding ground for user conflicts

Ocean Management is Quickly Becoming a Hot Public Policy

Issue

Offshore Windfarms as a Catalyst

Cape Wind: 130 wind turbine generators – 420 mw

Winergy: 7 proposed projects, 3 in state waters, 4 in federal waters

Almost 1,000 wind turbine generators have been proposed off the Massachusetts coast

Jurisdictional “doughnut hole” creates management issues with a discrete ecosystem

A Diversity of Ocean

Uses Pipelines, navigation channels, underwater cables, & other permitted uses in Boston Harbor Example of ocean “clutter” (Boston Globe)

Goals of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Initiative

Maximize public use, utility, and enjoyment of ocean resources with minimal impacts on ecosystems (habitat protection, biodiversity, water quality)

Obtain buy-in from federal ocean managers to provide seamless management of adjacent federal waters

Formalize management of coastal waters up to 200 miles offshore through a federal-state partnership

A Few Possible Outcomes

Comprehensively zoned coastal waters (geographic? Performance-based activities?)

Public Request for Proposals for limited areas to identify and evaluate potential uses and activities, and their comparative public benefit

Percentage allotment for each Massachusetts coastal region for specific uses (e.g., industrial use, aquaculture, marine protected areas)

Massachusetts Ocean Management Initiative: Lessons Learned

The public must perceive a problem and support changes in ocean management

Potential issues: aversion to change, “positioning your position”, sidetracking

Balancing an inclusive effort: process, process, process

Stay tuned to CZ-Mail or check out our Web page at www.state.ma.us/czm

State, Territory, and Commonwealth Initiatives and the U.S. Commission: Concluding Thoughts State/regional initiatives

highlight national policy voids and underscore CSO recommendations

These initiatives also provide excellent models for implementing a new coastal and ocean management structure

Push for change, but lead by example