Aberdeen to host state Senate work session on ocean policy

OLYMPIA – When it comes to good stewardship of the ocean, most of us are all wet.

Although the ocean covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface, Washingtonians tend to focus more on Puget Sound, due to its proximity to population centers. That focus may be shifting, thanks to the work of the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee, which has scheduled a work session in Aberdeen to examine a macro to micro view of ocean policy.

“The ocean is really one interconnected body of salt water that circles the globe,” explained Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, who chairs the committee. “Worldwide, more than 600 million people live in coastal areas, so we need to better understand our responsibilities on the federal, state and local level for maintaining good ocean health.”

The briefings will include:

• Federal-level ocean policy recommendations, lessons learned from Puget Sound and the next steps for Washington state. - Bill Ruckelshaus, Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council chair
• West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health and informal agreements with British Columbia. - Kathleen Drew, Governor's executive policy advisor
• State Ocean Caucus’ progress in implementing the Ocean Action Plan. - Jennifer Hennessey, Department of Ecology Shorelands & Environmental Assistance Program
• Techniques and tools to engage local communities in ocean policy that have worked well for San Juan County. - Kevin Ranker, San Juan County Council member
• Grays Harbor County’s needs in the ocean policy arena. - Al Carter, Grays Harbor County commissioner
• The creation of coastal marine resource committees. - Tim Smith, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Understanding barriers and bridges to cross-scale ecosystem management. - Christine Feurt, Center for Sustainable Communities director
• Implementing the Coastal Zone Management Act through local comprehensive plans in Rockaway Beach and Tillamook County, Oregon. - Lisa Phipps, Department of Community Development, Tillamook County, Ore.
• Engaging local communities in the creation of protected areas in New Zealand. - Barbara Bollard Breen, Ph.D., marine conservation program, Earth & Oceanic Sciences Research Institute at the University of Technology at Auckland, senior lecturer.

The work session will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, at the Rotary Log Pavilion, 1401 Sargent Blvd. in Aberdeen. The session is open to the public.

Return to Sen. Jacobsen's home page