The public comment period has begun for a new blueprint for government activity in federal waters off the New England coast.
The Northeast Ocean Plan will offer a new system for federal agencies to look at each other’s data and gather more information from stakeholders like fishermen and shipping companies. The plan is a result of a 2010 executive order and is being facilitated in New England by the Northeast Regional Ocean Council. Similar plans are being crafted in the mid-Atlantic and West Coast regions.
A public comment period is open until July 25. Recommendations will be considered in the following months, leading to the plan’s final draft. Hearings are being held around the region to receive public comment, including one last Monday at the state Department of Environmental Services office at Pease International Tradeport.
