November 5, 2009 - The Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission has met to consider adoption of an amended Territorial Sea Plan for that state, as recommended by the Territorial Sea Plan Advisory Committee and the Ocean Policy Advisory Council.
November 4, 2009 - The Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard held a hearing on The Future of Ocean Governance. Read the witnesses' testimony or watch a webcast of the entire hearing.
On June 12, 2009, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force is charged with developing recommendations in 180 days for a national ocean policy, a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning.
Learn more...
There are a number of definitions for marine spatial planning. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, marine spatial planning is a public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that usually have been specified through a political process.
The purpose of this website is to provide clear information to help managers, policy makers, and all those who use and appreciate the ocean, to understand the concept of marine spatial planning and advance its implementation in real-world settings.
Marine spatial planning is a rapidly evolving and dynamic topic area in which strong partnerships are essential. Therefore, users are encouraged to bookmark this website, since content will be frequently updated.
This website provides access to materials produced by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Ocean Policy Task Force (OPTF). Users are encouraged to visit the OPTF website for the most current information.