Oregon Public Broadcasting

Sweeping federal recommendations on ocean policy released Monday are getting a warm reception from a leading Oregon conservation group. Rob Manning reports.

A 24-member task force took more than a year to craft its 77-page set of recommendations. The report calls for a new National Ocean Council that would include top cabinet officials, like the Secretary of State and Attorney General.

The recommendations include a broad new ocean policy with an emphasis on science and sustainability. And they call for "zoning"  parts of the ocean for specific activities, like fishing or energy development.

Susan Allen is with the Oregon-based group, Our Ocean.

Susan Allen: "They talk about providing resilience of the near-shore. They talk about ensuring that the ecologically important areas are managed in a holistic approach. So I think that really tells us that Oregon is on the right path."

Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — and former Oregon State University professor — co-chaired the task force behind the new recommendations.

Executive Order: Establishing a National Policy for Stewardship of The Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes