I had the privilege last night to participate in the Coastal America Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP) 10th Anniversary Celebration during which the Senator John H. Chafee Coastal Stewardship Award was presented to Senator John Kerry.
Senator Kerry has been a true oceans champion and sponsored many important pieces of legislation related to coastal and ocean management, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the National Sea Grant College Program Act. He has also been a long term supporter of the Coastal America program (http://www.coastalamerica.gov/). In 1996, he led the designation of the New England Aquarium as the first National Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center (CELC) -- there are now 23 such Centers around the country and the Alaska SeaLife Center is playing a key role in that network. Next year will be the 15th anniversary of the CELC network and the 20th Anniversary of the Coastal America program.
It was a truly inspirational event and I greatly enjoyed hearing from such ocean leaders as Leon Panetta, the first recipient of the Chafee Award and now CIA Director, Dr Larry Robinson, Assitant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere in the Dept. of Commerce, Virginia Tippie, Director of Coastal America and Pat Hester from Spectra Energy who is Chair of the CWRP.
Events like this are a tremendous oportunity to reflect on both the difference that committed leaders can make and of the importance of persistence! US coastal and ocean policy has been a 'work in progress' for a long time. In order to understand why things are the way they are and where the proposed new ocean policy (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/interimreport) is heading (and why), it is helpful to hear directly from the people involved. I'll share some more observations on that with staff when I get back home to Alaska.
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