JOCI grades United States on ocean policy'”where's the dunce cap?

William Atkins
Saturday, 14 June 2008 02:22

Science - Climate

The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (JOCI) grades the states and the U.S. government on their 2007 ocean-policy performance. State and regional governments made the grade, but the federal government needs summer school for a lot of additional tutoring.

The annual report is published jointly by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the PEW Oceans Commission.

The JOCI report begins, “The report card is a retrospective assessment of the nation’s collective progress made during 2007 toward implementing the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission."

It continues, "The results of this evaluation are based upon careful monitoring of ocean policy developments and communication with leaders in Congress, the Administration, and the states who are responsible for creating and implementing new and improved policies."

For 2007, the average grade, as stated in the report, rose from a "C-" to a "C".

The good news is that the state and regional governments, in the category of “Regional and State Ocean Governance Reform,” got a top mark from the JOCI: "A-".

The members compiling the report were happy to state, “States and regions continued to move ocean policy reform forward, making significant strides in improving the management of coastal and ocean resources, and proving that Americans value the economic, environmental, and security benefits of our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters.”

However, on the other hand, the U.S. Congress and the White House never got a grade above a "C+". Ouch!

The report stated, “Even with a dramatic increase in Fiscal Year  (FY) 2008 funding for oceans proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives, these gains were largely erased in the omnibus appropriations bill, a process that also resulted in the elimination of most funding requested by the President to support his new ocean research plan."

It went on to say, "Despite a continuing dialogue regarding funding needs, the flat budgets endured by most federal ocean and coastal programs over the past four years is at the core of the slow pace of national ocean policy reform."

Please turn the page for the grades on six major categories. If I got such grades in school, I'd be grounded for the duration of the school year!