EPA to Host Public Listening Sessions During National Ocean Month

The Obama Administration announced the launch of a series of listening sessions to gather input from the communities that depend on and care for our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes--continuing work to implement the nation’s first comprehensive ocean policy. Feedback and comments gathered through these public engagement opportunities will assist the National Ocean Council as it continues implementing the new National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts and Great Lakes.

Starting next week, the National Ocean Council will host a series of 12 public listening sessions across the country. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be coordinating efforts with other federal agencies and partners to host a listening session in the Gulf of Mexico region and co-host a listening session in the Great Lakes region alongside the U.S. Coast Guard. Following the executive order issued by President Obama last July that established the National Ocean Policy and the National Ocean Council, these public engagement sessions mark the latest milestone in implementing an ocean policy that addresses critical issues facing our oceans.

In addition, the National Ocean Council has launched a month-long public comment period for strategic action plan outlines. The outlines for the strategic action plans were drafted by federal inter-agency teams as a first step in implementing the president’s National Ocean Policy. After the public comment period, the outlines will be used to develop strategic action plans that will propose attainable goals and specific, measurable actions the federal government can implement to address key challenges facing our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes.

To participate in providing feedback for the strategic action plans outlines or to get more information on listening sessions visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/oceans.

Source: EPA