The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (commonly referred to as the Joint Initiative) is a bipartisan, collaborative group in the United States that aims to "accelerate the pace of change that results in meaningful ocean policy reform." The Joint Initiative was established by the members of two major U.S.-based oceans commissions: the Pew Oceans Commission and the United States Commission on Ocean Policy. It was originally co-chaired by former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James D. Watkins (United States Navy, Ret.), chairs of the Pew and U.S. Ocean Commissions, respectively. Currently, the Joint Initiative is led by a Leadership Council, which is co-chaired by Christine Todd Whitman, former EPA Administrator under President George W. Bush and former governor of New Jersey, and Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush.
The Joint Initiative Leadership Council members include leaders from prominent universities and environmental groups, scientists, national security leaders and representatives from a variety of ocean industries including fisheries, the science and technology, and shipping. The Joint Initiative works with networks of people involved in national, regional, state and local ocean policy issues from all fields, including scientists, industry representatives, advocacy groups and policy makers. The Joint Initiative, its members, and its publications are offered as resources to policy makers at all levels of government interested in pursuing ocean policy reforms consistent with the Commissions' recommendations. The Joint Initiative's most recent publication, an interactive digital report, is entitled "Ocean Action Agenda: Supporting Regional Ocean Economies and Ecosystems".
Background and history.
The Ocean Commissions.
Pursuant to the Oceans Act of 2000, President George W. Bush established the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, chaired by Admiral James D. Watkins. The 16-member commission presented recommendations for a new and comprehensive national ocean policy. Their final report, "An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century", was released in 2004.
Concurrently, the Pew Charitable Trusts established the Pew Oceans Commission, led by Leon Panetta. The 18-member group presented its recommendations on ocean policy reform in their 2003 report, "America's Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change".
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative: 2005-2010.
The reports of the US Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission contained strikingly similar recommendations. To further their overlapping and complementary recommendations and to unify their efforts, the members of the two Commissions came together in 2005 as the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. It was originally co-chaired by former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and former chief of naval operations Admiral James D. Watkins (United States Navy, Ret.), chairs of the Pew and U.S. Ocean Commissions, respectively. Meridian Institute has served as the secretariat of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative throughout its existence.
From 2005 to 2010, the Joint Initiative Commissioners continually provided assistance to policymakers at all levels of government — local, state, and federal — as well as to leaders in the nongovernmental, academic, and private sectors. The commissioners were dedicated to moving the U.S. toward a better coordinated national ocean policy, with an improved governance framework and enhanced management tools to carry out that policy. The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative focused its efforts in seven priority areas: national ocean policy reform; regional and state ocean leadership; international ocean leadership; ocean science, research, and education; fisheries management reform; new funding; and oceans and climate change.
To advance these priorities, members of the Joint Initiative were regularly called on as experts to advise Congress and other political leaders and appeared as key witnesses at numerous hearings on ocean policy. The Joint Initiative also served as a resource for expertise on ocean issues to the media and other ocean groups. Joint Initiative leaders authored or were cited in numerous articles and stories about its work have appeared in major national newspapers and media markets around the country. Commissioners aided the Joint Initiative through their independent work concerning ocean and coastal issues and through maintaining a high profile in the ocean community.
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative: 2010 - Present.
In June 2010, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative announced new leadership that would focus specifically on promoting the establishment and effective implementation of a comprehensive U.S. national ocean policy. Former EPA Administrator (1970–1973, 1983–1985) William Ruckelshaus and former Secretary of Transportation (2001–2006) and Secretary of Commerce (2000–2001) Norman Mineta became the new co-chairs of the Joint Initiative Leadership Council.
On July 19, 2010, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13547 establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes. The Executive Order directed federal agencies to adopt and implement the Final Recommendations of the White House Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, a body established by President Obama in June 2009 to make recommendations about U.S. ocean policy. The Task Force recommendations called for the establishment of a national ocean policy with a strong federal coordinating structure and an effective framework for implementation based on coastal and marine spatial planning, all to be overseen by an Interagency National Ocean Council. The new national ocean policy represented the realization of one of the key recommendations urged by the US Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission and championed by the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative.
To translate the National Ocean Policy into on-the-ground actions, the National Ocean Council released the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan in April 2013. The Implementation Plan, which incorporates input from a range of stakeholders, including industry, conservation, and science perspectives, describes specific actions federal agencies will take to address ocean-related challenges, gives states and regions greater input into federal decisions, streamlines federal operations, and promotes economic growth.
Since 2010, the Joint Initiative has worked to ensure that the National Ocean Policy adequately protects, maintains, and restores the environmental and economic health of America's oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. During this time, the Joint Initiative developed the Report "Charting the Course: Securing the Future of America's Oceans", which provides four major recommendations on ocean policy. The Joint Initiative views these recommendations as an integral part of reforming ocean and coastal policy, improving ocean health, and bolstering the ocean economy for all citizens of the United States. All four of the policy priorities are incorporated in the work of the Leadership Council to promote effective and comprehensive national ocean policy.
In 2014, the Joint Initiative launched a regional outreach strategy to inform the development of its latest report, the "Ocean Action Agenda". This was done through a series of Regional Ocean Leadership Roundtables, convened on the East, West, and Gulf Coasts and in the U.S. Arctic. At these roundtables, the Joint Initiative heard from nonprofit, industry, and military leaders, as well as representatives from federal, state, local, and tribal entities, about regional priorities, challenges, and needs. Each Roundtable provided unique insights about important regional ocean and coastal priorities and needs, but they all underscored the importance of dedicated funding for ocean priorities, international cooperation and U.S. leadership on ocean issues, ocean science and research, infrastructure investments, and support for local, state, and regional efforts. The input gathered at these roundtables informed the development of the "Ocean Action Agenda", which contains recommendations for the Trump Administration and 115th Congress.
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council.
The bipartisan Joint Initiative Leadership Council is co-chaired by Christine Todd Whitman and Norman Mineta. Members of the Joint Initiative Leadership Council include:
Co-chairs
Members
Reports and publications.
"Ocean Action Agenda: Supporting Regional Ocean Economies and Ecosystems".
In March 2017, The Joint Initiative released an interactive digital report, the "Ocean Action Agenda: Supporting Regional Ocean Economies and Ecosystems". The report contains recommendations for the Trump Administration and Congress to ensure the health and productivity of America's oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes and foster economic growth.
The report contains 29 recommendation organized into nine priority action areas:
The Joint Initiative's recommendations were informed by input gathered at Regional Ocean Leadership Roundtables convened in the U.S. Arctic and East, West, and Gulf Coasts. At these roundtables, the Joint Initiative brought together more than 250 local, state, tribal, and national leaders representing diverse industry, government, and nonprofit interests to identify creative solutions to critical ocean and coastal issues. Input from these roundtables is also reflected in the "Ocean Action Agenda's" suite of narrative stories, which highlight the importance of the oceans and Great Lakes to the lives of all Americans.
"Charting the Course: Securing the Future of America's Oceans".
In June 2013, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative released "Charting the Course: Securing the Future of America's Oceans." 
The report recommends actions for the Administration and Congress that prioritize areas where short-term progress can be readily achieved. If implemented, these measures will strengthen ocean-dependent economies, protect coastal communities and provide new opportunities for growth in thriving oceans. The report highlights four major recommendations and provides details on how to implement them:
1. Enhance the resiliency of coastal communities and ocean ecosystems to dramatic changes underway in our oceans and on our coasts
2. Promote ocean renewable energy development and reinvest in our oceans
3. Support state and regional ocean and coastal priorities
4. Improve Arctic research and management
"Changing Oceans Changing World".
In April 2009, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative released an urgent set of recommendations, "Changing Oceans, Changing World: Ocean Priorities for the Administration and Congress". The recommendations incorporated input from leaders at some of the most respected and influential ocean and coastal policy and science organizations in the country. The Joint Initiative identified specific actions the Obama Administration and Congress should take within two to four years to improve ocean and coastal policy, management, science and funding, emphasizing their contributions toward addressing pressing national challenges of climate change, energy security and reviving the economy. The report identified the following policy priorities and specific actions for the president and Congress to take:
1. Improving Ocean and Coastal Policy and Management
2. Bolstering International Leadership
3. Strengthening Ocean Science
4. Funding Ocean and Coastal Policies and Programs
"One Coast One Future".
In January 2009, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative released its much anticipated report, "One Coast, One Future: Securing the Health of West Coast Ecosystems and Economies". The report, requested by 19 elected officials from California, Oregon and Washington State, offers guidance to local, state and federal leaders on how to improve the health of coastal ecosystems and the economies that depend on them through integrated decision making. "One Coast, One Future" offers specific and immediate ways that local and state West Coast leaders can collaborate to implement a coordinated and more productive approach to managing the coast, as well as ways state legislatures and the federal government can support their efforts. The report urges these leaders to adapt and prepare for climate change impacts through an ecosystem-based approach that recognizes the interconnections among marine life, climate, local economies and the quality of human life. The report also acknowledges that many local West Coast communities currently face alternative energy proposals, and suggests ways that they can work with other communities, government agencies and developers to implement effective solutions to these pressing energy challenges. Recommendations in the report include the following:
"From Sea to Shining Sea".
In June 2006 the Joint Initiative released a national ocean policy action plan for Congress, "From Sea to Shining Sea: Priorities for Ocean Policy Reform". The plan was created at the request of ten prominent U.S. Senators to provide a guide for legislative and funding priorities.
The action plan responds to the senators’ request to identify the most urgent priorities for congressional action to implement the two Commissions’ recommendations. The plan outlines ten steps Congress should take to address the most pressing challenges, the highest funding priorities, and the most important changes to federal laws and the budget process to establish a more effective and integrated ocean policy. The report identified the following priorities:
U.S. Ocean Policy Report Card.
The Joint Initiative released a U.S. Ocean Policy Report Card for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2012 which monitored the nation's collective progress toward fulfilling the recommendations of the two Commissions’ reports and advancing ocean policy reform.
The report card assesses progress over the year and provided specific recommendations about how to improve each categorical grade. There were five subjects featured on the 2012 report card: national leadership and support; regional, state, and local leadership and implementation; research, science; and education; funding; and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
It is a continuing priority of the Joint Initiative Leadership Council to monitor and assess U.S. ocean policy.
References.
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