[Coral-List] national ocean policy - implications on the coral reef task force?

[Will Nuckols]

As many of you have likely heard, in the United States President Obama has announced the U.S.'s first national ocean policy. 

While questions arose quickly concerning the relationship of the National Ocean Policy to the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico (I too have included a bit of analysis on that topic on my policy blog http://wp.me/pN1jj-64, and the full text of the executive order is included there as well) but I have heard little about the implications of the new policy and organizational structures on the governance structures effecting corals in the U.S.

Has anyone heard, or have opinions about, the implications of the new National Ocean Council (NOC) and its subordinate committees on the Coral Reef Task Force? 

Will political appointee level representatives of the President continue to meet at least twice a year at meetings dedicated to coral reefs as had been the tradition in the Coral Reef Task Force, or will the issues handled at these meetings be folded in as a portion of meetings of the NOC? 

Do coral-list members think that this new structure will elevate coral issues to a higher level, or will front page issues such as the oil spill, offshore energy and the arctic dominate the agenda in DC at a time when corals face longstanding pressures and also newer ones such as acidification? 


William H. Nuckols III
Principal
W. H. Nuckols Consulting
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC     Annapolis, MD     Smithfield, VA 
will at whnuckolsconsulting.com
www.WHNuckolsconsulting.com (Mr. Nuckols personal webpage is located at WilliamHNuckols.com)
801-994-6768
443-994-1493 cell