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Praise for the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan

Today, the National Ocean Council released a draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan for public comment, laying out an action plan for addressing the most critical challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Here's what others have to say about the plan:

Jim Lanard, President, Offshore Wind Development Coalition

“We support the National Ocean Policy and believe that it can help bring clarity to the management of our oceans and advance the growth of the offshore wind industry. A National Ocean Policy will result in the protection of marine ecosystems and will ensure the orderly and economically - and environmentally-sustainable development of ocean resources, in a manner that respects and minimizes conflicts with existing users.”

Bill Ruckelshaus, Co-chair, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative

“The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council applauds release of the National Ocean Policy Implementation Strategy. This is a crucial step toward realizing a policy that will benefit not only the health of our oceans and coasts but our economy, our environment, and our nation’s security. We look forward to continued collaboration with the National Ocean Council in support of timely and effective implementation of the National Ocean Policy.”

Rick Bellavance, Owner and Operator, Priority Fishing Charters, Rhode Island

“Our ocean is critical to Rhode Island’s economy and way of life. We need all government agencies to work with fishermen and everyone else who uses the ocean to create a comprehensive plan that allows us to tackle big problems like climate change and ocean acidification while protecting and sustainably growing our coastal economies. Today’s announcement lays out a plan to do just that.”

Richard Nelson, Lobsterman, Friendship, Maine

“A healthy ocean is the foundation of New England’s coastal economy. We need to get everyone to the table—the government, scientists and people like me who make a living out there—and we need to make a comprehensive plan for the ocean so that new businesses like renewable ocean energy can develop while ensuring that existing industries like fishing can grow and flourish into the future.”

Molly McCammon, Executive Director, Alaska Ocean Observing System

“The National Ocean Policy and the draft implementation plan really highlight the important role our oceans play in the nation’s economy and global environment. I am especially pleased that the plan recognizes the importance of ocean observations, making data publicly available, and especially focusing on the issues facing the Arctic region.”

Tricia K. Jedele, Director, Conservation Law Foundation’s Rhode Island Office

“The implementation plan announced today gives us new approaches and tools for tackling the many challenges facing our ocean. This is a great opportunity for everyone who works or plays on Rhode Island Sound to work together to improve the health of our ocean ecosystems, clean up our beaches, and strengthen the economies of our coastal communities.”

Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations, Massachusetts Audubon Society

“Mass Audubon supports the Obama administration’s initiative in planning for and managing America’s ocean waters. This is an important and necessary step as we work together to provide for our oceans’ environmental, economic and national security functions. We look forward to partnering with the federal agencies focusing on ocean management planning in the New England region.”

Berl Hartman, the New England Chapter Director of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)

“E2 welcomes the National Ocean Policy draft implementation plan as a major milestone to protect the health of our valuable ocean ecosystems and bolster our coastal economies. Our oceans and Great Lakes are incredible engines of economic development and jobs. Today’s draft plan moves us towards a coherent, coordinated policy that sets national priorities and provides data for better decisions.”

Rep. Ed Markey, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee

“President Obama's ocean plans provide a framework for coastal communities to address some of the most pressing challenges to ensure healthy oceans, coasts and Great Lakes for present and future generations. Right now our oceans and Great Lakes are as active as they are vast, teeming with competition to fish, ship goods, train our Naval forces, harness wind energy, and conserve vital species and recreation locations. This plan will strengthen regional efforts to promote efficiency and collaboration in sharing these resources.”

The National Ocean Council invites your input to inform development of the final Implementation Plan.

Michael Weiss is Acting Director of the National Ocean Council

Protecting the Nation’s Electric Grid from Cyber Threats

Protecting the electric system from cyber threats and ensuring its resilience are vital to our national security and economic well-being.  This is exactly why cybersecurity is one of four key themes in the White House’s Policy Framework for a 21^st Century Grid. For obvious reasons, the private sector shares our interest in a safe and secure electric grid. The Administration has benefited from working closely with industry, including to develop the Roadmap to Achieve Energy Delivery Systems Cybersecurity, released by the Department of Energy last September. 

To continue that close cooperation, last week Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman and I, along with senior officials from Department of Homeland Security, hosted industry leaders to discuss a new initiative to further protect the electric grid from cyber risks. This initiative -- the Electric Sector Cybersecurity Risk Maturity Model Pilot -- is a new White House initiative led by the Department of Energy, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, to develop a model to help us identify how secure the electric grid is from cyber threats and test that model with participating utilities. Gaining knowledge about strengths and remaining gaps across the grid will better inform investment planning and research and development, and enhance our public-private partnership efforts.

I was encouraged to see an impressive number of electric sector leaders participating and sharing their views with us. Their high level of interest in this new effort reaffirmed for me that these stakeholders share our desire to better understand the strengths and remaining gaps across the sector, so that together we can continue to take concrete steps to protect the electric grid from cyber threats.

We look forward to continued cooperation with our partners in industry to ensure this initiative builds on industry efforts and becomes a meaningful tool to create a modern, secure electric grid that carries us through the 21^st century.