- This ia nothing less than the Agenda 21 plan to control
the 'Sustainable Use' and 'Development' of all of America's Coastal Areas
-
-
- Jeff,
-
- I'm forwarding to you an email sent to me by a good friend
and someone who also enjoys the outdoors. It contains a link to U.S. House
Bill 501, sponsored by U.S. Congressman Ed Markey, which, as I read it,
seeks to establish a regional governmental council for "coordinating"
and "planning" the decisions affecting the "sustainable
development" of all American coastal areas.
-
-
- A. The general mandates for the Councils created in
this legislation are:
-
- 1. To coordinated regional planning efforts in decisions
affecting the sustainable development and use of Federal renewable and
nonrenewable resources on, in, or above the ocean including the Great Lakes.
-
- 2. Offer Greater coordination among stakeholders regarding conservation
of, and the sustainable development and use of Federal
renewable and nonrenewable resources of the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes.
-
- 3. To force Americans to have a greater reliance on a
multi-objective management approaches that integrate regional economic
and "social objectives" (I shudder to think what that means)
into water management decisions.
-
- 4. Develop a "Strategic Plan" for the sustainable
development and use of America's coastal waters, including for the development
of renewable and non-renewable energy in any given Region.
-
-
- B. Regional "strategic" mandates include to:
-
- 1. Identify a Region's renewable and non-renewable resources
including current and potential energy resources.
-
-
- 2. Identify and inventory existing (and potential) habitat
for fishing, recreational use and energy development.
-
-
- 3. Document the health and relative environmental sensitivity
of these waters.
-
-
- 4. Identify marine habitat types and important ecological
areas.
-
-
- 5. Assess the local "marine" economy and cultural
attributes while developing a socioeconomic baseline - (for what
purpose remained unstated... but it sounds duplicitously diabolical).
-
-
- 6. Gather and prioritize the scientific and economic
data necessary to develop Strategic Plans.
-
- Note on item #6: A "Strategic Plan" to do
what is never explicitly stated. However, as can be discerned from the
bill itself, it's the plan for the implementation of Agenda 21 and the
Sustainable Development (of America's coastal areas), clandestinely, vis-à-vis the
Gulf oil disaster.
-
-
- C. Coastal areas to be governed are:
-
- (1) PACIFIC REGION- The Pacific Coordination Region,
which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent
to the States of Washington, Oregon, and California.
-
-
- (2) GULF OF MEXICO REGION- The Gulf of Mexico Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama,
and the west coast of Florida.
-
-
- (3) NORTH ATLANTIC REGION- The North Atlantic Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and Connecticut.
-
-
- (4) MID-ATLANTIC REGION- The Mid-Atlantic Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, and Virginia.
-
-
- (5) SOUTH ATLANTIC REGION- The South Atlantic Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
the east coast of Florida, and the Straits of Florida Planning Area.
-
-
- (6) ALASKA REGION- The Alaska Coordination Region, which
shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent
to the State of Alaska.
-
-
- (7) PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION- The Pacific Islands Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.
-
-
- (8) CARIBBEAN REGION- The Caribbean Coordination Region,
which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent
to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
-
-
- (9) GREAT LAKES REGION- The Great Lakes Coordination
Region, which shall consist of waters of the Great Lakes in the States
of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
and Wisconsin.
-
- D. Public input: Not to worry. At a couple of different
points along the way the average American taxpayer will be allowed a "public
comment period". Just before, that is, the power-that-be enact their
Agenda 21 plans for Sustainable Development over any objections you may
have.
-
- Now, don't you feel better? Anyway, below is a copy
of the actual email I was sent.
-
- Enjoy.
-
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- -------- Original Message --------
-
- Subject: "Coordination Regions" & "Exclusive
Economic
- Zones"
- From:
-
- Date: Mon, November 14, 2011 2:36 am
-
-
- In case you haven't seen this.
-
- Talk about a [communist] system of regional governance!
-
-
-
- Bold emphasis added by me.
- 1. [112th] <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d112:1:./temp/%7EbdyWY4::%
- 7C/home/LegislativeData.php?n=BSS;c=112%7C>H.R.501 : Implementing
the Recommendations of the BP Oil Spill Commission Act of 2011 -
-
- - To provide for the implementation of the recommendations
of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore
Drilling, and for other purposes.
-
- Sponsor: <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db
- =d112&querybd=@FIELD%28FLD003+@4
- %28%28@1%28Rep+Markey++Edward+J.%29%29+00735%29%29>Rep
Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] (introduced 1/26/2011) <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR00501:@@@P>Cosponsors (14) Related
Bills: <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR01352:>H.R.1352,
- <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR01870:>
- H.R.1870, <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR02260:>H.R.2260
- Latest Major Action: 2/25/2011 Referred to House
subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
- 758 . [112th] (Introduced in House - IH)<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c112:758:./temp/%7EmdbsK3KpTv::>[H.R.501.IH
]
-
- Excerpt: SEC. 501. REGIONAL COORDINATION.
- (a) In General- The purpose of this title is to promote--
- (1) better coordination, communication, and collaboration
between Federal agencies with authorities for ocean, coastal, and Great
Lakes management; and
- (2) coordinated and collaborative regional planning efforts
using the best available science, and to ensure the protection and maintenance
of marine ecosystem health, in decisions affecting the sustainable
development and use of Federal renewable and nonrenewable resources
on, in, or above the ocean (including the Outer Continental Shelf) and
the Great Lakes for the long-term economic and environmental benefit of
the United States.
- (b) Objectives of Regional Efforts- Such regional efforts
shall achieve the following objectives:
- (1) Greater systematic communication and coordination
among Federal, coastal State, and affected tribal governments concerned
with the conservation of and the sustainable development and
use of Federal renewable and nonrenewable resources of the oceans, coasts,
and Great Lakes.
- (2) Greater reliance on a multiobjective, science- and
ecosystem-based, spatially explicit management approach that integrates
regional economic, ecological, affected tribal, and social objectives into
ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes management decisions.
- (3) Identification and prioritization of shared State
and Federal ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes management issues.
- (4) Identification of data and information needed by
the Regional Coordination Councils established under section 602.
- (c) Regions- There are hereby designated the following
Coordination Regions:
- (1) PACIFIC REGION- The Pacific Coordination Region,
which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent
to the States of Washington, Oregon, and California.
- (2) GULF OF MEXICO REGION- The Gulf of Mexico Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Alabama, and the west coast of Florida.
- (3) NORTH ATLANTIC REGION- The North Atlantic Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
- (4) MID-ATLANTIC REGION- The Mid-Atlantic Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
- (5) SOUTH ATLANTIC REGION- The South Atlantic Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
the east coast of Florida, and the Straits of Florida Planning Area.
- (6) ALASKA REGION- The Alaska Coordination Region, which
shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent
to the State of Alaska.
- (7) PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION- The Pacific Islands Coordination
Region, which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic
Zone adjacent to the State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.
- (8) CARIBBEAN REGION- The Caribbean Coordination Region,
which shall consist of the coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone adjacent
to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
- (9) GREAT LAKES REGION- The Great Lakes Coordination
Region, which shall consist of waters of the Great Lakes in the States
of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
and Wisconsin.
-
- SEC. 502. REGIONAL COORDINATION COUNCILS.
- (a) In General- Within 180 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, in consultation
with the affected coastal States and affected Indian tribes, shall establish
or designate a Regional Coordination Council for each of the Coordination
Regions designated by section 601(c).
- (b) Membership-
- (1) FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES- Within 90 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Council on Environmental
Quality shall publish the titles of the officials of each Federal agency
and department that shall participate in each Council. The Councils shall
include representatives of each Federal agency and department that has
authorities related to the development of ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes
policies or engages in planning, management, or scientific activities that
significantly affect or inform the use of ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes
resources. The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall determine
which Federal agency representative shall serve as the chairperson of each
Council.
- (2) COASTAL STATE REPRESENTATIVES-
- (A) NOTICE OF INTENT TO PARTICIPATE- The Governor of
each coastal State within each Coordination Region designated by section
601(c) shall within 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, inform
the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality whether or not the
State intends to participate in the Regional Coordination Council for the
Region.
- (B) APPOINTMENT OF RESPONSIBLE STATE OFFICIAL- If
a coastal State intends to participate in such Council, the Governor of
the coastal State shall appoint an officer or employee of the coastal State
agency with primary responsibility for overseeing ocean and coastal policy
or resource management to that Council.
- (C) ALASKA REGIONAL COORDINATION COUNCIL- The Regional
Coordination Council for the Alaska Coordination Region shall include representation
from each of the States of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, if appointed
by the Governor of that State in accordance with this paragraph.
- (3) REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATION-
A representative of each Regional Fishery Management Council with jurisdiction
in the Coordination Region of a Regional Coordination Council (who is selected
by the Regional Fishery Management Council) and the executive director
of the interstate marine fisheries commission with jurisdiction in the
Coordination Region of a Regional Coordination Council shall each serve
as a member of the Council.
- (4) REGIONAL OCEAN PARTNERSHIP REPRESENTATION- A
representative of any Regional Ocean Partnership that has been established
for any part of the Coordination Region of a Regional Coordination Council
may appoint a representative to serve on the Council in addition to any
Federal or State appointments.
- (5) TRIBAL REPRESENTATION- An appropriate tribal
official selected by affected Indian tribes situated in the affected Coordination
Region may elect to appoint a representative of such tribes collectively
to serve as a member of the Regional Coordination Council for that Region.
- (6) LOCAL REPRESENTATION- The Chairman of the Council
on Environmental Quality shall, in consultation with the Governors of the
coastal States within each Coordination Region, identify and appoint
representatives of county and local governments, as appropriate, to serve
as members of the Regional Coordination Council for that Region.
- (c) Advisory Committee- Each Regional Coordination
Council shall establish advisory committees for the purposes of public
and stakeholder input and scientific advice, made up of a balanced representation
from the energy, shipping, transportation, commercial and recreational
fishing, and recreation industries, from marine environmental nongovernmental
organizations, and from scientific and educational authorities with expertise
in the conservation and management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources
to advise the Council during the development of Regional Assessments and
Regional Strategic Plans and in its other activities.
- (d) Coordination With Existing Programs- Each Regional
Coordination Council shall build upon and complement current State, multistate,
and regional capacity and governance and institutional mechanisms to manage
and protect ocean waters, coastal waters, and ocean resources.
-
- SEC. 503. REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLANS.
- (a) Initial Regional Assessment-
- (1) IN GENERAL- Each Regional Coordination Council, shall,
within one year after the date of enactment of this Act, prepare an initial
assessment of its Coordination Region that shall identify deficiencies
in data and information necessary to informed decisionmaking by Federal,
State, and affected tribal governments concerned with the conservation
of and management of the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. Each initial
assessment shall to the extent feasible--
- (A) identify the Coordination Region's renewable and
non renewable resources, including current and potential energy resources,
except for the assessment for the Great Lakes Coordination Region, for
which the Regional Coordination Council for such Coordination Region shall
only identify the Great Lakes Coordination Region's renewable energy resources,
including current and potential renewable energy resources;
- (B) identify and include a spatially and temporally explicit
inventory of existing and potential uses of the Coordination Region, including
fishing and fish habitat, recreation, and energy development;
- (C) document the health and relative environmental sensitivity
of the marine ecosystem within the Coordination Region, including a comprehensive
survey and status assessment of species, habitats, and indicators of ecosystem
health;
- (D) identify marine habitat types and important ecological
areas within the Coordination Region;
- (E) assess the Coordination Region's marine economy and
cultural attributes and include regionally-specific ecological and socio-economic
baseline data;
- (F) identify and prioritize additional scientific and
economic data necessary to inform the development of Strategic Plans; and
- (G) include other information to improve decision making
as determined by the Regional Coordination Council.
- (2) DATA- Each initial assessment shall--
- (A) use the best available data;
- (B) collect and provide data in a spatially explicit
manner wherever practicable and provide such data to the interagency comprehensive
digital mapping initiative as described in section 2 of Public Law 109-58
(42 U.S.C. 15801); and
- (C) make publicly available any such data that is not
classified information.
- (3) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION- Each Regional Coordination
Council shall provide adequate opportunity for review and input by stakeholders
and the general public during the preparation of the initial assessment
and any revised assessments.
- (b) Regional Strategic Plans-
- (1) REQUIREMENT- Each Regional Coordination Council shall,
within 3 years after the completion of the initial regional assessment,
prepare and submit to the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality
a multiobjective, science- and ecosystem-based, spatially explicit, integrated
Strategic Plan in accordance with this subsection for the Council's
Coordination Region.
- (2) OBJECTIVE AND GOALS- The objective of the Strategic
Plans under this subsection shall be to foster comprehensive,
integrated, and sustainable development and use of ocean, coastal,
and Great Lakes resources, while protecting marine ecosystem health and
sustaining the long-term economic and ecosystem values of the oceans, coasts,
and Great Lakes.
- (3) CONTENTS- Each Strategic Plan prepared by a
Regional Coordination Council shall--
- (A) be based on the initial regional assessment and updates
for the Coordination Region under subsections (a) and (c), respectively;
- (B) foster the sustainable and integrated development
and use of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources in a manner that protects
the health of marine ecosystems;
- (C) identify areas with potential for siting and developing
renewable and nonrenewable energy resources in the Coordination Region
covered by the Strategic Plan, except for the Strategic Plan for the Great
Lakes Coordination Region which shall identify only areas with potential
for siting and developing renewable energy resources in the Great Lakes
Coordination Region;
- (D) identify other current and potential uses of the
ocean and coastal resources in the Coordination Region;
- (E) identify and recommend long-term monitoring needs
for ecosystem health and socioeconomic variables within the Coordination
Region covered by the Strategic Plan;
- (F) identify existing State and Federal regulating authorities
within the Coordination Region covered by the Strategic Plan and measures
to assist those authorities in carrying out their responsibilities;
- (G) identify best available technologies to minimize
adverse environmental impacts and use conflicts in the development of ocean
and coastal resources in the Coordination Region;
- (H) identify additional research, information, and data
needed to carry out the Strategic Plan;
- (I) identify performance measures and benchmarks for
purposes of fulfilling the responsibilities under this section to be used
to evaluate the Strategic Plan's effectiveness;
- (J) define responsibilities and include an analysis of
the gaps in authority, coordination, and resources, including funding,
that must be filled in order to fully achieve those performance measures
and benchmarks; and
- (K) include such other information at the Chairman of
the Council on Environmental Quality determines is appropriate.
- (4) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION- Each Regional Coordination
Council shall provide adequate opportunities for review and input by stakeholders
and the general public during the development of the Strategic Plan and
any Strategic Plan revisions.
- (c) Updated Regional Assessments- Each Regional
Coordination Council shall update the initial regional assessment prepared
under subsection (a) in coordination with each Strategic Plan revision
under subsection (e), to provide more detailed information regarding the
required elements of the assessment and to include any relevant new information
that has become available in the interim.
- (d) Review and Approval-
- (1) COMMENCEMENT OF REVIEW- Within 10 days after receipt
of a Strategic Plan under this section, or any revision to such a Strategic
Plan, from a Regional Coordination Council, the Chairman of the Council
of Environmental Quality shall commence a review of the Strategic Plan
or the revised Strategic Plan, respectively.
- (2) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT- Immediately after receipt
of such a Strategic Plan or revision, the Chairman of the Council of Environmental
Quality shall publish the Strategic Plan or revision in the Federal Register
and provide an opportunity for the submission of public comment for a 90-day
period beginning on the date of such publication.
- (3) REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVAL- Before approving a Strategic
Plan, or any revision to a Strategic Plan, the Chairman of the Council
on Environmental Quality must find that the Strategic Plan or revision--
- (A) complies with subsection (b); and
- (B) complies with the purposes of this title as identified
in section 601(a) and the objectives identified in section 601(b).
- (4) DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION- Within 180 days after the
receipt of a Strategic Plan, or a revision to a Strategic Plan, the Chairman
of the Council of Environmental Quality shall approve or disapprove the
Strategic Plan or revision. If the Chairman disapproves the Strategic Plan
or revision, the Chairman shall transmit to the Regional Coordination Council
that submitted the Strategic Plan or revision, an identification of the
deficiencies and recommendations to improve it. The Council shall submit
a revised Strategic Plan or revision to such plan with 180 days after receiving
the recommendations from the Chairman.
- (e) Plan Revision- Each Strategic Plan shall be reviewed
and revised by the relevant Regional Coordination Council at least once
every 5 years. Such review and revision shall be based on the most recently
updated regional assessment. Any proposed revisions to the Strategic Plan
shall be submitted to the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality
for review and approval pursuant to this section.
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