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ALTERNATiVES continued from p. 49 tant for navigation and infrastructure, such as dredged material disposal sites, excluding them from areas where offshore development (large-scale, smallscale or any portion of a proposed project) could be sited. “As Rhode Island’s public port, the Port of Davisville needs to serve a wide
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range of maritime interests including international offshore sailing races, seafood cold storage, ro-ro operations for car imports and staging for offshore wind development,” says Evan H. Matthews, Director, Port of Davisville, Quonset Development Corporation. “We were deeply engaged in the OSAMP process. We felt we had a seat at the table and real input into developing the plan. I
UNCOMPROMISED
CONTROL
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TA N K E R S believe we assisted maritime businesses and port users by providing greater certainty of process for in planning for future uses of our marine resources. Our experience was that that ports can benefit from smart ocean planning.” But in May, the U.S. House of Representatives voted mostly along party lines to block the National Ocean Policy by passing an amendment that says that no funds can go toward implementation of the policy. Some lawmakers expressed concern about the effect it could have on the way private sector industries currently do business. However, industry groups like Deepwater Wind who have actually participated in these planning efforts have been vocal in their support of the National Ocean Policy. They, along with others, question whether this ban, if is carried through the legislative process, may also put at risk existing, successful and widely supported programs because they are referenced in the policy and the draft implementation plan. For example, this could affect the ability of agencies to compile and share climate, water, wind, current and weather data as well as use computer models to analyze seasonal and extreme weather conditions. These are essential services to many existing users as well as those involved in the development of offshore renewable energy. The National Ocean Policy isn’t new. A very similar policy and a definition of the need for comprehensive, coordinated ocean planning was articulated by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy in 2004 under President George W. Bush. Like these past commissions, many people in maritime industries, new and existing alike, see it as a way to increase coordination and reduce conflict among ocean users and the agencies that oversee their work—thus, supporting the maritime sector and creating jobs. ML
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aBout the author Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, Ph.D. is a marine environmental policy advisor who has worked on initiatives in rhode island and on the federal level. Dr. Whitehouse is a former chair of rhode island’s coastal resources Management council. She is currently the team lead for ocean conservancy’s coastal and Marine Spatial Planning program. www.marinelog.com