07/31/2008: "West Coast Governors Ocean Action Plan"

The Governors of California, Oregon and Washington today joined together via satellite to launch a historic action plan to address challenging ocean and coastal management issues along the West Coast.

The West Coast Governors’ Ocean Action Plan is the result of a 2006 agreement signed by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

The regional agreement, known as the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health , forged a long-term partnership to tackle obstacles facing the Pacific Ocean and its coastal communities.

To support the states’ agreement, a federal working group, co-led by the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been established and will work with the states in implementing the actions.

The action plan released on Wednesday is the result of our three states working side-by-side to identify problems and develop a comprehensive action plan to solve them. It commits the three states to collaborate closely with each other and the federal partners on seven priority areas related to ocean protection:

• Ensuring clean coastal waters and beaches;

• Protecting and restoring healthy ocean and coastal habitats;

• Promoting the effective implementation of ecosystem-based management of our ocean and coastal resources;

• Reducing adverse impacts of offshore development;

• Increasing ocean awareness and literacy among our citizens;

• Expanding ocean and coastal scientific information, research and monitoring; and

• Fostering sustainable economic development throughout our diverse coastal communities.

As part of the plan, California, Oregon and Washington will work together, along with the federal government, on 26 actions. These include developing strategies to help combat polluted runoff, prevent the introduction of invasive species, explore the feasibility of offshore alternative ocean energy development, and prevent and respond to offshore oil spills, among others.

Each action within the plan contains benchmarks and a time frame for action. The governors have formally committed to report on the status of actions at the end of two years.

“This agreement is another key step in our aggressive efforts to maintain clean water and beaches along our coast,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger. “I believe our commitment to working together and putting this plan into action will help effectively tackle critical issues up and down the West Coast-ensuring a healthy ocean environment for current and future generations.”