Managing the Ocean Resources of the United States – The Role of the Federal Marine Sanctuaries Program V2

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Lecture Notes on Coastal and Estuarine Studies Series, Volume 2.

Federal programs applicable to the oceans and coastal zone have evolved incrementally in response to perceived needs to expedite emerging maritime development while conserving valuable marine resources. As a result, the current federal marine effort is divided among a plethora of programs administered by a number of agencies within different Departments. The programs themselves are conducted under the authority of multiple statutes with varying reaches and objectives; as a result they often overlap and conflict. There is no assurance, moreover, that the coverage of federal programs is complete in scope or comprehensive in conception. No single institutional device can ensure that these programs will manage the marine resources of the United States consistently and comprehensively, so as to derive maximum public benefit. While the present maze of statutes, regulations, and executive directives may in theory provide opportunities for a wide-ranging consideration of all relevant factors prior to making specific decisions, there can be no guarantee that this objective is realized either systematically or reasonably effectively.