Legislative Background
Recent Action on Federal Ocean Policy
In August 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the Oceans Act, establishing an independent U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy to recommend ways to balance ocean ecology with economics by promoting the protection and sustainable use of America’s oceans and coastal resources. This was the first government-mandated study of Federal ocean policy since the Stratton Commission report was issued in 1969. That report led to the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the enactment of new marine-related laws, including the Coastal Zone Management Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Ocean Dumping Act,…
