With more than half of the U.S. population living along the
coasts and another 25 million people estimated to move there over
the next 15 years, the scientific evidence is clear that the health
and productivity of our coastal waters - in particular our
estuaries and bays - are declining.
This week, hundreds of scientists, resource managers,
environmentalists and business leaders are in Baltimore to search
for ways to restore the nation's estuaries and preserve the natural
and cultural heritage they support. Our coastal ecosystems are
vital to commercial and recreational fishing.
They filter our water, buffer the shores from storms and are
important nurseries for thousands of species of fish and birds.
Their beauty and the bounty they support are among the reasons so
many of us choose to live along the coast.
Yet despite these many benefits, we currently lose nearly 60,000
acres of wetlands in this country each year, most of it to
development. The resulting roads, parking lots and rooftops carry
pollution from our cars, lawns and fields into the sea. Our
challenge, then, is to live and work along the coast without
harming it.
Three years ago, I agreed to lead the Pew Oceans Commission - an
independent group of leaders from science, fishing, conservation,
government and business - in search of solutions to the problems
facing our oceans today. Our review, along with that of the U.S.
Commission on Ocean Policy, is the first top-to-bottom look at U.S.
ocean policy in more than 30 years.
In early June, we will present our findings to Congress, the
Bush administration and the nation on ways to restore fisheries,
manage coastal development, curb pollution and better govern the
oceans.
Much has changed over the past 30 years, both in terms of how we
use the oceans and our understanding of the intricate and fragile
nature of ocean ecosystems. In talking to people around the
country, we found a growing appreciation that the oceans are part
of our public trust and that we all have a responsibility for their
stewardship. If we are to protect and restore our estuaries, bays
and wetlands, then we must improve ocean and coastal management to
reflect this priority. Here are just a few solutions we will
recommend:Identify and protect sensitive coastal habitats.
- Coastal communities that are eager to protect sensitive
wetlands and estuaries often lack the ability to do so. Federal and
state governments must provide the resources and incentives that
communities need to protect sensitive areas.
-
Manage development to lessen impacts on coastal ecosystems. We
need to reconsider development patterns and practices, especially
those that contribute to sprawl. We must move toward development
that makes more efficient use of space and infrastructure while
protecting open space and important habitats.
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, our nation has made great
strides in protecting the environment. We fought against dirty air,
littered streets and fouled rivers. In doing so, we discovered a
national conscience and an environmental ethic. Our coasts and
oceans - the final frontier on this planet - are showing the same
signs of stress we have seen on land. Poorly guided development,
mismanagement of our fisheries and pollution are taking their toll.
This Earth Day, April 22, we should remember the 70 percent of the
planet that is the ocean and extend this nation's proud
conservation ethic toward the sea. Our oceans are our public trust
and are calling out for our help. This generation has a duty to be
good stewards and to respond to this challenge for the sake of our
children. We can start right where we live - on the coast.
Leon Panetta, a former White House chief of staff under
President Bill Clinton and a former California congressman, chairs
the Pew Oceans Commission.
Copyright 2003, The Baltimore Sun
