NOAA Lab, Beaches, Etc

Over the last few weeks, Clean Ocean Action has been working on a variety of issues - from National Ocean Policy to your local beaches.

Today, we thought we'd share a few links to stories and webpages that we access as part of these ongoing battles for a clean ocean economy:


Last week, a number of news stories on COA issues were published:

1. A COA letter to the editor was featured on NJ.com wherein we talk about three looming threats to the ocean (the same threats featured in this blog post),
2. A story on Marine Mammal Stranding Fund Cuts was posted in the APP based on the NOAA budget issues we've been working on, and 
3. A story was posted on the NOAA Fisheries Lab Closure at Sandy Hook and COA efforts to save it also in the APP, and another in the Philly Inquirer.

For many of these action items, and a few more, we use these websites regularly:

1. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) "transformation portal" where the DEP posts the times (and results of) for its stakeholder meetings on various state environmental initiatives.  Free and open to the public (unless otherwise posted as RSVP only) - so come out and speak up!
2. The NJ DEP Barnegat Bay Program website - hosting the DEP's action items on Barnegat Bay action items
3. The EPA's "beach program" site - the site for all info on the program whereby your beaches and swimming waters are tested to make sure it's safe to swim...and the program that the EPA proposes cutting
4. The James J. Howard Marine Lab at Sandy Hook - proposed to be closed at the end of the year, this site details why it's important that this lab stay open
5. The White House's National Ocean Council page where the administration's ocean policy initiatives can all be learned about in great detail.
6. For offshore energy, we monitor the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's website (www.boem.gov) and the two state-specific sites for New York and New Jersey on those states' federal renewable energy issues.

In one last shameless plug, other sites we love are the COA homepage, COA Blog, and COA Facebook page...