June 19, 2001
Bush names two from Washington to draft new ocean policy
President George Bush has named University of Washington Professor Marc Hershman — an expert on protecting and using coastal areas, developing seaports and the laws and policies governing U.S. ocean resources — and William Ruckelshaus as initial members of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. The announcement from the White House Friday said the two Washington state residents were selected for the 16-member commission from nearly 30 finalists.
The commission was created as part of the Oceans Act approved by Congress and signed into law last August. The commission is to assess the nation’s ocean resources, the first comprehensive survey in more than 30 years, and recommend a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy to Congress and the president by the end of 2002.
“The U.S. ocean is huge – over 3.4 million square miles,” Hershman says. “Currently, we have competing conceptions of how to use ocean resources. This commission can help form a more coherent ethic of ocean stewardship.”
Since 1993, Hershman has been director of the UW’s School of Marine Affairs where more than 70 faculty, staff and students consider the uses, protection and management of marine resources around the world.
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Hershman, 206-685-2469, hershmj@u.washington.edu
White House press release and additional information:
http://www.coreocean.org/oc.html
