1. Massachusetts Ocean Management:
Capacity to develop
and implement plan
Bruce K. Carlisle
Office of Coastal Zone Management
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

2. Outline
• Background on Plan
development and
implementation
• Brief overview of Plan
• Capacity to implement:
– Needs
– Resources
– Partnerships
• Take away points

3. Ocean Act of 2008
• Ocean Management Task Force 2003‐2004: set of
findings and recommendations
• Act directs Secretary of EEA to develop integrated
ocean management plan by December 31, 2009
• 15 directives, including:
– Develop siting priorities, locations, and standards for
allowed uses, facilities, activities
– Identify and protect special, sensitive, and unique
estuarine and marine life and habitats
– Foster sustainable uses
– Support infrastructure necessary for economy and
quality of life
• All state approvals must be consistent with Plan

4. Jurisdictional
boundaries
Ocean planning area

5. Uses, activities and facilities
subject to management
Renewable energy
‐ Wind energy
‐ Tidal energy
‐ Wave energy
Extraction of sand and gravel for beach
nourishment and shore protection
Telecommunication and electric cables
Pipelines for natural gas
Fish and shellfish aquaculture

6. From Ocean Act to Ocean Plan
(May 2008 *) (December 2009)
Ocean Ocean
Act Plan
Data Siting and Plan
Goals and
acquisition & compatibility development
strategies
development assessment
Plan objectives Develop plan
Natural Functional compatibility
Decision‐making analysis based on
resources
guidance synthesis of
Human uses Qualitative cumulative spatial and
Blueprint for impacts/effects
Use siting management
adaptive
preferences Other policy calls elements
framework

7. Stakeholder process and participation
• Developing DRAFT plan:
– Technical workgroups: data, science, technology
– Public meetings throughout coast as well as inland
communities
– Ocean Advisory Commission and Science Advisory
Council meetings
– More than 100 individual stakeholder meetings
– Five public workshops
• Vetting DRAFT plan:
– Public comments: >300 letters, input
– 5 formal hearings
– 25 informational meetings

8. Ocean Plan
• Draft Plan issued June
2009
• Final Plan promulgated
December 2009
• Volume I
– Management
– Administration
• Volume II
– Baseline Assessment
– Science Framework

9. Ocean Plan
• Prohibited area:
– Uses, activities and
facilities prohibited
• Renewable energy
areas:
– 2 areas: Gosnold,
Vineyard
– Commercial‐scale wind
• Multi‐use area:
– Siting and performance
standards apply

10. Capacity needs
• Internal:
– Leadership, senior policy
vetting and decision‐
making
– Policy & planning
capabilities across subject
areas
– Technical, science
expertise across
disciplines / fields
– GIS / mapping
– Administration, logistics

11. Capacity needs
• External:
– Engagement with public,
stakeholders, interests
through different forums
– Data and information
– Contextual /background:
examples, relevant models,
decision tools
– Communication /
interaction support

12. Capacity resources
• Internal:
– Cabinet level ownership
and engagement
(Executive Office EEA)
– Executive and Legislative
branch support
– “All hands”: Policy,
planning, technical,
science, GIS and other
staff
– ~ $2.5M: state operating
& capital, federal CZM
grant

13. Capacity resources
• External:
– Massachusetts Ocean
Partnership
(~$4.5M from Moore
Foundation *)
– Ocean Advisory
Commission
– Ocean Science Advisory
Council
– Federal agencies,
NGOs, Universities, etc.

14. Partnerships
• State agency collaboration
– Exceptionally strong joint
work and coordination on key
issues: critical habitats,
fishing, seafloor/geology ,
energy
– EEA / CZM lead, other
agencies critical
– 56 staff involved
• Technical workgroups &
stakeholders
– Data and information:
foundation

15. Partnerships
• Massachusetts Ocean
Partnership (SeaPlan)
– Critical public/private
relationship and support
– Stakeholder workshops,
events, discussions
– Information support:
– Synopsis, analysis of other
ocean planning
models/tools
– Decision support tools:
cumulative impacts, trade‐
offs, valuations, etc.

16. Partnerships
• Ocean Advisory
Commission
– Fishing, environmental, &
renewable energy reps
– Legislators
– Reps from all 6 coastal
regions (RPAs) ‐ including
Mayor of Gloucester,
former Mayor of New
Bedford, Cape Cod and
Martha’s Vineyard
Commissions

17. Partnerships
• Science Advisory Council
– Academic institutions:
UMass Boston, Dartmouth
– Private, non‐profits: CLF,
Batelle, NE Aquarium
– Expertise: fisheries,
geology, marine mammals,
ecology, economics
• Federal agencies
– NOAA, BOEM (MMS),
USGS, Corps, EPA, FWS,
Coast Guard

18. Take away points
• High profile: resources = scope / scale of effort
– “All‐hands”
– Core planning team
– GIS: maps and more maps
– Massachusetts Ocean Partnership
• High level advisory bodies
– Ground‐truthing
– Politics
• Ongoing, sustained attention
– Promulgate Plan … whew … but then work not done
– Regulations, coastal program plan, project review
– Addressing priority science and data gaps

19. mass.gov/eea/oceanplan
Bruce Carlisle
617.626.1205
Bruce.Carlisle@state.ma.us