Marine Spatial Planning

Salmon Defense facilitated a kickoff conference in December 2010 to promote tribal dialogue about the upcoming creation of regional and national objectives and standards in the realm of Coastal Marine Spatial Planning. The conference took place at the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino and was generously sponsored by The Lazar Foundation and The Harder Foundation as a part of their commitment to the marine ecosystem.

Coastal Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) is a planning process that analyzes current and projected uses of the coastal areas in order to determine sustainable practices. Goals of CMSP include meeting environmental, economic, security and social objectives by identifying areas most suitable for various levels of each activity. Ultimately the planning process works to reduce conflict among purposes by developing compatible uses while reducing impact to the environment and critical ecosystem services.

The National Ocean Council has been created with top policy representatives from each of the federal agencies and departments with regulatory responsibilities in the ocean.