NRPB Draft Ocean Plan
on Webinar May 25
Public Meetings in June

The Northeast Regional Planning Body, following a White House executive order, has been developing a regional ocean plan since 2012. With the May 25 release of the draft Northeast regional ocean plan, the following two updates have been released by the Northeast Regional Ocean Council.

First, the Northeast Regional Planning Body (RPB) is convening a webinar at 12:00 pm, Wednesday, May 25 to announce the availability of the draft plan, describe the public comment process, and provide a brief overview of the draft. Please register here for this webinar. We hope you can join us for this event.

Second, the RPB will be convening a series of public meetings in June to review and discuss the draft plan and to take public comment. Below is the schedule and location for these meetings. Please check the website here for updates to this list and for further information on the webinar. We hope to see you at these meetings.

• Mon., June 6 – Maine Location: Rockland Public Library, 80 Union Street, Rockland, ME, 5pm to 8pm.

• Wed., June 8 – Connecticut Location: (TENTATIVE) Conference Room, Marine District Headquarters, 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT, 6pm to 8:30pm (TENTATIVE).

• Mon., June 13 – Massachusetts Location: Bay State Conference Center, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 101 Academy Dr, Buzzards Bay, MA, 6pm to 8:30pm.

• Tues., June 14 – Massachusetts Location: Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, 100 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Room TBD, Boston, MA, 2pm to 4:30pm.

• Wed., June 15 – Massachusetts Location: TBD, Massachusetts North Shore, Time: 6pm to 8:30pm.

• Mon., June 20 – Maine Location: Ellsworth Public Library, 20 State Street, Ellsworth, ME, 5pm to 8pm.

• Mon., June 27 – New Hampshire Location: Portsmouth, NH, DES Office, 222 International Drive, Suite 175, 6pm to 8:30pm.

• Wed., June 29 – Rhode Island Location: TBD, 6pm to 8:30pm.

• Thurs., June 30 – Maine Location: Portland, ME, TBD, 5pm to 8pm.
Betsy Nicholson, RPB Federal Co-lead
Grover Fugate, RPB State Co-lead
Richard Getchell, RPB Tribal Co-lead

Congress did not fund the 2010 Executive order for a National Ocean Plan. The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, a private corporate foundation, has funded the development of an Ocean Policy. The project has included several meetings and workshops with representatives, scientists, ENGOs and the public from the New England states since 2012. In addition, resource baselines were set and extensive ocean mapping completed. The May 25, 2016 webinar at noon and the June public meetings will be the last opportunities for public comment before the plan is sent to Washington, D.C. for final signing.