Contact: Marcus Reamer, marcus@marinesanctuary.org, (301) 608-3040 x 311
President Trump’s America First Offshore Energy Executive Order issued in April directed the Department of Commerce to review the designations and expansions of 11 national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments. The Department of Commerce is now opening a 30-day public comment period on the review. We need you to continue standing up for sanctuaries.
America’s national marine sanctuaries and marine monuments conserve treasured places within our oceans and Great Lakes such as the USS Monitor shipwreck, Midway Island, sacred heritage sites for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians, and some of the largest and oldest corals in the world.
These treasured places support the communities that surround them by generating approximately $8 billion annually to support coastal and ocean-dependent economies. From restaurants and hotels, to aquariums and kayak operators, the success of many businesses, millions of dollars in sales, and thousands of jobs, directly depend on thriving national marine sanctuaries. Balancing multiple uses on the water and engaging many constituencies in the community, sanctuaries provide a comprehensive, highly participatory approach to managing and conserving resources.
Please join the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation as we #StandUpForSanctuaries by signing our letter of support to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to let him know you want to conserve America’s ocean and Great Lakes. You can sign on to our letter or submit your own comments to the Federal Register. With your help, we can show the Administration that Americans value their sanctuaries and monuments!