National Marine Sanctuary History Timeline
Congress establishes a Marine Sciences Council led by Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
The Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources (“The Stratton Commission”) releases a report on the marine environment, entitled Our Nation and the Sea: A Plan for National Action. Chaired by Julius A. Stratton, chairman of the Ford Foundation, the 15-member commission consulted with 600 individuals in government, academic institutions and industry within a 30 month period, in addition to hearing formal testimony from 126 witnesses before issuing its report. Our Nation and the Sea emphasizes three issues: (1) the ocean as a frontier for resource development, (2) emerging threats to the coastal environment, and (3) the need to reorganize federal ocean and coastal programs. It leads directly to a reorganization of federal ocean efforts and the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the next year.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was established and placed within the Department of Commerce.
National Environmental Policy Act establishes the federal Council on Environmental Quality and mandates a process for federal agencies to fully assess and evaluate the impacts of their actions on the environment and disclose those impacts to the public.
President Richard Nixon directs the Council on Environmental Quality to conduct a study of ocean disposal of wastes. In October, the Council publishes its report, entitled “Ocean Dumping -- A National Policy.”
October 23 –Congress passes the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act which, among other things, establishes the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Title III of the law is later renamed the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Click here for more information about the NMSA.
Congress passes the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Coastal Zone Management Act.
Congress overrides President Nixon's veto and passes the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, substantially rewriting and strengthening federal water pollution control.
Replies
This Stratton Commission worked arm in arm world wide. However, most need to know that in this report it was local-state (fake) control that was recommended. The formative Assessments should reflect input from the community 'local usage'.
Need to pay attention to CZM and the strangeness of what's to come. Our shoreline should not have to pay for the city of honolulu's rail!