Dear President-elect Biden: In furtherance of your commitment to create a more vibrant and powerful economy and millions of good-paying jobs, and as the country seeks to recover from the ongoing effects of the pandemic, the undersigned groups representing nearly every sector of the U.S. economy respectfully request your support for ensuring collaborative, transparent, and balanced multi-use ocean policies within the existing statutory framework that support economic and environmental goals and remove barriers to beneficial coordination.
The effectiveness of collaborative ocean policy efforts is highlighted by the success of state-established regional ocean partnerships throughout the country that have led the way in bringing together federal agencies, states, tribes, industry, NGOs, and the general public to engage and coordinate on ocean-related issues. Continued support for existing regional ocean partnerships as the primary mechanism for coordination among the public and private sectors and across regions on ocean-related matters is critical to ensuring a streamlined effort that fosters true collaboration and opportunities for successful ocean outcomes.