In the News: U.S. Gets a 'C-' on Protecting Oceans

The Joint Ocean Commission released its 2006 Report Card last week, giving the United States a "C-" on its efforts to protect and restore our nation's coasts and oceans. The grade, a modest increase from the "D+" given last year by the ten-member task force, clearly indicates that significant improvements are still needed at the policy level. In addition, financial support for research, planning and management programs is sorely lacking (2005- "F"; 2006 - "F") leading many to believe that solutions will need to come from the local level...JB

By Andrew Miga
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The United States made modest progress on protecting its oceans last year, but still needs to boost funding for desperately needed reforms, a commission on ocean policy said Tuesday.

Overall, the U.S. earned a "C-" grade from the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, a collaboration between the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the privately funded Pew Oceans Commission. That was a slight improvement over a "D+" grade on the commission's report card for 2005.


Read More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013000714.html

Joint Ocean Commission
http://www.jointoceancommission.org/

U.S Ocean Policy Report Card (PDF)
http://www.jointoceancommission.org/images/report-card-06.pdf