Notice of Request for Information for the U.S. National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy

 

The U.S. Federal Government is requesting input from all interested parties to inform the development of a National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (National Strategy). The National Strategy will describe the vision, goals, and high-level actions for a robust, equitable, secure, sustainable ocean economy enabled by healthy, resilient ocean ecosystems. It will build on current Federal, Tribal, Territorial, State, and regional sustainable ocean management practices and identify needs and opportunities to enhance these efforts with new and emerging science, technology, knowledge, and policy.

Through this request for information (RFI), the White House Ocean Policy Committee seeks public input on what the goals and outcomes of the National Strategy should be, and how the Federal Government can best advance sustainable management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and ecosystems of the United States.

Responses are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 28, 2023. Submissions received after the deadline may not be taken into consideration. Comments must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. However, if you require an accommodation or cannot otherwise submit your comments via regulations.gov, please contact the program contact person listed under "FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT". For additional details, please refer to the Federal Register Notice: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023-13839

 

Background: The Nation's ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes support strong local economies and provide good-paying jobs, healthy food, carbon storage, energy, recreation, culture and heritage, transportation, trade, mobility for our armed forces, natural protection from storm surge and floods, and numerous other benefits. But many of these benefits are not inexhaustible, and the ocean is vulnerable to the impacts of human activity. The myriad impacts of climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution, for example, continue to degrade the health, productivity, and resilience of ocean ecosystems and make clear the integral connection between a healthy ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and the health, prosperity, security, and well-being of all Americans.

To engage the Nation in developing a vision, goals, and high-level actions for sustainable management of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes, the Ocean Policy Committee, a Congressionally mandated, Cabinet-level interagency committee charged with coordinating Federal ocean policy (https://www.noaa.gov/​interagency-ocean-policy), will develop a National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (National Strategy) in consultation with federally recognized Tribes and input from governments, civil society, the private sector, and the public. The National Strategy will: (1) describe a vision and goals for sustainable management of the U.S. ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes; (2) characterize and assess needs and opportunities to achieve the vision and goals; (3) identify existing and new high-level actions by Federal, Tribal, State, Territorial, regional, and local governments that can advance sustainable management; and (4) describe how those actions will be implemented to engage and build on the work of and partnerships with civil society, the private sector, and the public.

For more information on the OPC, please visit the interagency OPC website: https://www.noaa.gov/interagency-ocean-policy-committee