The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation applauds President Obama for taking the steps to make ocean policy a priority, especially so early in his tenure. The Interim Report issued by the Administration’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, dated September 10, 2009, is thorough and thoughtful in its recommendations for what a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes should entail.

The NMSF has issued a letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, highlighting the fact that the National Marine Sanctuary System including the statute, regulations, programs, and practices that comprise it, provides a powerful guide for the development and implementation of the National Ocean Policy. The Foundation strongly encourages the Task Force to consider how the Sanctuary System can inform its work going forward, and looks forward to supporting the Administration in making the recommendations in the Interim Report a reality.

To view the Foundation's letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, click here.

To learn more about the Obama Administration’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, and the recent Interim Report, click here.