Deadline for Comments was July 2, 2011

Overview:

The National Ocean Council (NOC) has released draft strategic action plans on nine national priority objectives regarding our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. The final plans could negatively impact Alaska’s economy with little to no added benefit to the environment.

Action requested:

RDC encourages its members to participate in the process by submitting comments and presenting brief testimony at listening sessions scheduled in June. The NOC will accept comments on the draft strategic action plans online through July 2. It has also scheduled a series of public listening sessions to collect comments, including one in Anchorage and one in Barrow. Other meetings will be held throughout the U.S.

Please testify at an upcoming public hearing and/or submit written comments online encouraging NOC to maintain access to Alaska’s rich resources.

To review the draft strategic action plans, please visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/sap

Submit comments:

Comments will be accepted online at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/sap/comments

To read RDC’s most recent comments on ocean policy, please visit:
http://www.akrdc.org/alerts/2011/nococeancomments.html

RDC is a member of the National Ocean Policy Coalition. For more information, visit:
http://www.oceanpolicy.com

Attend a public listening session:

Public listening sessions were held in:
Barrow: Thursday, June 9th from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Barrow City Office
Anchorage: Friday, June 10th from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Loussac Library, Wilda Marston Theatre

For a complete list of sessions, please visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/whats-new

Points to consider in your comments and verbal testimony:

• Access to our natural resources in our oceans is critical to Alaska’s future economy. Alaska’s economy, based on responsible resource development – development done in accordance with local, state and federal environmental protections and laws already in place – must be fully considered before plans are implemented, and projects, cultures and communities are jeopardized.
• Alaska has some of the best resource management practices in the world, with some of the highest standards and requirements for projects.
• Ocean policy should coordinate with existing management programs and stakeholders with a focus on avoiding redundancy and maintaining access.
• Access to the outer continental shelf is critical to our nation’s long-term energy security, and developing oil and gas in Alaska reduces our nation’s dependency on foreign resources.
• The Alaska OCS can boost domestic production from potential world-class energy deposits. OCS production has the potential to refill the Alaska oil pipeline, which is now operating at one-third of its 1988 peak flow.
• Oil and gas production in Alaska has the world’s highest safety and environmental standards. Activities are governed by existing stringent stipulations.
• Alaska’s oil and gas industry has committed to unprecedented provisions for prevention and spill response that go above and beyond what is required by law. These provisions, combined with a stringent permitting process, give Alaskans a high level of confidence that exploration and development can occur safely.
• One of every six jobs in the U.S. is marine-related.
• Over one-third of the annual U.S. Gross National Product originates in coastal areas – approximately $700 billion.
• U.S. maritime transport carries 95% of the nation’s foreign trade.
• Ships move two billion tons of freight in and out of U.S. ports.
• Coastal & marine waters support more than 28 million jobs.
• Coastal areas are tourist destinations for 189 million Americans annually.

Deadline for Comments was July 2, 2011