On
September 20, 2004, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy fulfilled its mandate
to submit recommendations for a coordinated and comprehensive national
ocean policy to the President and Congress. The Commission's final report, "An
Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century," contains 212 recommendations
addressing all aspects of ocean and coastal policy. The 16 members of the
Commission call on the President and Congress to take decisive, immediate
action to carry out these recommendations, which will halt the steady decline
of our nation's oceans and coasts.
On December 17, 2004, in response to the Commission's findings and recommendations, the President issued an executive order establishing a Committee on Ocean Policy as part of the Council on Environmental Quality and released the U.S. Ocean Action Plan. Following the White House announcement of these actions, the Commission responded with a preliminary assessment of the Ocean Action Plan, calling it a promising first step toward the implementation of a comprehensive national ocean policy. To view the Commission's preliminary assessment click here.
On December 19, 2004, the Commission expired, as provided under the terms of the Oceans Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-256), as amended. However, this website will continue to be available as an archive of the Commission's work.
An electronic version of the full-color final report is currently available on the Documents page of this website. The full-color final report is also available in hard copy from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) for $45. The NTIS package includes the final report, a CD-ROM with the seven supplementary books, a DVD with an 11-minute summary of the Commission's recommendations, and a 37-minute video recounting the work of the Commission. To order from NTIS, call 1-800-553-6847 and quote order number PB2005-101629KTF. Or order online at www.ntis.gov.
Detailed information on the history of the Commission, its membership, testimony from the 16 public meetings, official documents, public comments received by the Commission, and news releases are all available on this website.About the Commission | Commission
Meetings
Commission Documents | News
and Notices
Public Comment | Calendar