Ocean Zoning Discussion Forum

By Pat Forgey   JUNEAU EMPIRE

Managers at the state’s Division of Coastal and Ocean Management met with staff Monday, following the Legislature’s surprise action over the weekend to allow the program to end at the end of fiscal year, June 30.

“We are doing everything we can to find them reasonable employment outside coastal management,” said Randy Bates, the division’s director.

Of Coastal Management’s 33 employees, 22 are based in Juneau, with the remainder in Anchorage. Bates said they are looking at employee skill sets now.

“We are talking with other departments that might employ similarly experienced staff such as Fish and Game, Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development and (Department of Environmental Conservation), their commissioners are looking at vacancies they may have to see if there is an opportunity for our staff to move into those positions,” he said.

Saturday afternoon it appeared the program, scheduled to sunset at the end of the current fiscal year, would be saved when a conference committee trying to bridge the gap between Senate and House of Representative plans to extend the program appeared to reach agreement.

TESTIMONY-BY: MICHAEL R. BROMWICH, DIRECTOR

AFFILIATION: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Statement of Michael R. Bromwich Director , Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation And Enforcement United States Department of the Interior

Committee On House Natural Resources

May 13, 2011

Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear here today to discuss the renewable energy program of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and our efforts to facilitate and expedite the development of the Nation’s offshore wind energy resources.

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Wind Resources and Energy Development Goals BOEMRE manages the energy and mineral resources of the OCS, which comprises some 1.7 billion acres of submerged lands generally located between 3 and 200 nautical miles off the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that the total offshore wind potential is over 4,000 gigawatts (GW) for areas up to 50 miles from shore with average wind speeds of 7 meters per second or greater at 90- meter elevation. This estimate includes the resources of the Great Lakes and the coastal submerged lands under state jurisdiction, which are not managed by BOEMRE. However, OCS lands constitute the vast majority of what DOE considers “offshore” in its wind energy estimate.

From: Fishing World (Australia)

By Scott Coghlan

The National Ocean Council invites the public and stakeholders to join our members and Federal, tribal, and State representatives in a public session on Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) in Washington, DC on June 21, 2011. Gathering public feedback through this workshop is a critical step toward implementing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes (National Ocean Policy), as established by Executive Order under President Obama.

To engage the public in implementing CMSP in the United States, workshop participants will learn about CMSP and help shape how it can be used to help harmonize the often competing uses of these waters, such as national security, energy and economic security, and conservation. This national session will be followed by additional opportunities for public engagement through future regional workshops.

The National Ocean Policy sets a vision for America that ensures our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, and understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, and security of present and future generations. To achieve this vision the National Ocean Policy establishes a comprehensive, collaborative, regionally based planning process called coastal and marine spatial planning. This process involves cooperative planning among Federal, State, and tribal authorities, and solicits extensive input from the public and stakeholders to develop an approach tailored to the unique needs of each region.