Ocean Council Certifies Ocean Plan, Spring Meeting Planned

With the start to the new year, the Northeast Regional Planning Body (RPB) has released updates regarding the Northeast Ocean Plan. The National Ocean Council certified the plan as consistent with the National Ocean Policy on December 1, 2016. The final version of the plan is available at www.neoceanplanning.org, along with a plan adoption memo signed by federal, state, tribal, and New England Fishery Management Council members of the RPB (as well as federal principals of the National Ocean Council), and a states’ addendum to this memo. Thus, implementation of the Northeast Ocean Plan is underway. The Northeast Regional Ocean Council expressed yhanks to all who helped make this happen.

As described in the Plan, 2017 is shaping up to be a busy year. The RPB anticipates convening its next public meeting in mid-spring of this year (the end of April or beginning of May), which would be preceded by a stakeholder forum to discuss upcoming RPB meeting topics as occurred during development of the regional ocean plan. Stay tuned for an announcement of meeting dates and topics in the coming weeks.