CLOSED: West Coast Governers’ Agreement on Ocean Health Action Plan RFP

Submission deadline passed.

In 2006, the Governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health (WCGA). The Agreement launched a new, proactive regional collaboration to protect and manage the ocean and coastal resources along the entire West Coast, as called for in the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission.

The Agreement seeks to advance the goals of:
(1) ensuring clean coastal waters and beaches;
(2) protecting and restoring ocean and coastal habitats;
(3) promoting the effective implementation of ecosystem-based management;
(4) reducing adverse impacts of offshore development;
(5) increasing ocean awareness and literacy among residents;
(6) expanding ocean and coastal scientific information, research, and monitoring; and
(7) fostering sustainable economic development in our communities.

The Agreement also underscores the importance of managing activities that affect our oceans on an ecosystem basis. That is, managing human activities and their impact on ocean resources in a way that accounts for the relationships among all ecosystem components, including people and other species and the environment in which we live. In addition, the states committed to the development of an action plan http://westcoastoceans.gov/docs/WCGA_ActionPlan_lowest-resolution.pdf with specific actions to address the seven priority areas, which was completed in 2008. Each of the seven priority areas identified in the agreement is addressed in a separate section within the action plan. Following the release of the Action Plan in 2008, ten Action Coordination Teams (ACTs) were formed to develop work plans for implementing the Action Plan. The ACTs are composed of representatives from each of the three states, federal government, tribal governments, academia, industry, and non-profit organizations. Eight of the work plans were finalized in May 2010 and the remaining two drafts will be released for public comment Summer 2010 (work plans are available at http://westcoastoceans.gov/teams/).

Original posting date: 7.1.2010