Firm’s principal provides feedback for Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning

February 3, 2010 – Merritt Island, FL – The Council of Environmental Quality, an executive council under the President of the United States, issued a framework on the future of providing planning and direction to U.S. coastal and marine regions. This planning would incorporate social, economic, and environmental factors and use geographic information systems (GIS) to prioritze federal resources, enforcement, and planning. Additionally, this framework calls for local, state, and tribal governments to help prioritize through federal regional authorities.

Alpha JC is committed to informing government at all levels about sound and responsible policy options. The firm’s president, John Constantinide, applies his expertise in natural resource management in his comments on the Interim Framework.

“The Interim Framework presents a sound and flexible template of action items that guides regional authorities towards creating priorities that address economic, social, and environmental concerns. In terms of federal action affecting coastal and marine areas, regional authorities should be empowered to provide direction to federal agencies in prioritizing federal projects and regulation when considering social, economic, and environmental factors. Outside of federal action, though, the framework should have regional authorities guide, not direct, local and state governments in prioritization of project locations and types and enforcement within the governments’ respective jurisdictions. This guidance would make local and state governments more apt to follow the recommendations of the regional authorities than have control fully ceded to these authorities.”

For more information about Alpha JC’s work in policy research, please e-mail the firm at policy@alphajc.com or contact the office at (321) 720-7411.