Providence, RI – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today hailed President Obama’s creation of a new Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force as a step forward in efforts to protect and better manage our oceans and coasts. Whitehouse said:
“The President’s announcement today is another welcome sign that he takes seriously our responsibility to care for our oceans, coastlines, and Great Lakes. Balancing the different needs of marine ecosystem conservation, fishing and maritime industries; the threat of climate change; the recreational and tourist uses of our waterways; and the promise of ocean-based renewable energy sources, will take the kind of thoughtful, deliberate effort that is already underway in Rhode Island, and I’m excited that President Obama has charged his new Task Force with developing recommendations for marine spatial planning nationwide. I will do all I can to support this important work.”
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