Ocean Planning on the West Coast

Overview

West Coast stakeholders are leading the charge to create an efficient, data-driven regional ocean planning process. This group, which includes federal agencies, tribes, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the states of California, Washington, and Oregon, is working towards establishing a West Coast Regional Planning Body (RPB). Although in the preliminary stages of developing a West Coast RPB, the end goal is to create an ocean plan that improves the future of the West Coast’s ocean economy, marine environment, and coastal communities.

The group is currently focused on three overarching objectives:

1. Defining member roles and responsibilities toward establishing a RPB.
2. Defining the geographic scope of the RPB – given the large geographic area, there is potential to break into sub-regions to ensure a manageable planning process.
3. Identifying issues and goals appropriate for ocean planning and leveraging existing work, including enhancing data coordination, ensuring strong engagement with ocean users at all levels, and enhancing regional efforts by building upon existing state and tribal planning frameworks.

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