About the National Ocean Council

The National Ocean Council is a dual Principal- and Deputy- level committee.  Membership of the NOC initially includes the following, with additional officers designated by the Co-Chairs as needed:

• The Secretaries of: State, Defense, the Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Commerce, Labor, Transportation, Energy, and Homeland Security
• The Attorney General
• The Administrators of: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• The Chairs of: The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• The Directors of: the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), National Intelligence, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Science Foundation (NSF)
• The Assistants to: the President for National Security Affairs, Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Domestic Policy, Economic Policy, and Energy and Climate Change
• An employee of the United States designated by the Vice President
• The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA Administrator)

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is the key forum for ensuring integration and coordination on priority areas within the NOC.  It will be a high-level, streamlined body of five members from OSTP, CEQ, one Chair each of the Ocean Resource Management Interagency Policy Committee (ORM-IPC) and Ocean Science and Technology Interagency Policy Committee (OST-IPC), and the Director of the NOC Staff.

Ocean Resource Management Interagency Policy Committee

The ORM-IPC will function as the ocean resource management body of the NOC, with an emphasis on ensuring the interagency implementation of the National Policy, national priority objectives, and other priorities defined or approved by the NOC. Chairs of the ORM-IPC will be designated by the NOC and the Committee will consist of Deputy Assistant Secretaries or comparable representatives, or appropriate senior-level representatives with decision-making authority from departments, agencies and offices represented on the NOC.

Ocean Science and Technology Interagency Policy Committee (OST-IPC)

The OST-IPC will function as the ocean science and technology body of the NOC, with an emphasis on ensuring the interagency implementation of the National Policy, national priority objectives, and other priorities for science and technology objectives.  Chairs of the OST-IPC will be appointed through the National Science and Technology Council procedures in consultation with the NOC, and the Committee will consist of Deputy Assistant Secretaries or comparable representatives, or appropriate senior-level representatives with decision-making authority from departments, agencies, and offices represented on the NOC.

Governance Coordinating Committee

On February 23, 2011, the National Ocean Council established the Governance Coordinating Committee (GCC), in consultation with appropriate state, tribal, and local governments and organizations, to serve as a key coordinating body on inter-jurisdictional ocean policy issues.  The GCC consists of 18 members from states, Federally recognized tribes, and local governments. Members include:

• One state representative each from the Great Lakes Region, Gulf of Mexico Region, Mid-Atlantic Region, Northeast Region, South Atlantic Region, and West Coast Region
• One state representative each from Alaska, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean 
• Two at-large representatives from inland States
• One state legislative representative
• Three at-large tribal representatives
• Three local government representatives from coastal states (i.e., two mayors and one county official)

GCC members will serve staggered one to two-year terms.  The current GCC members are:

Brian Baird, California (West Coast Region)
Assistant Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy, California Natural Resources Agency

Kathleen Leyden, Maine (Northeast Region)
Director of Maine's Coastal Zone Management Program

David Naftzger, Illinois (Great Lakes Region)
Executive Director, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council

Lelei Peau, American Samoa (Pacific Islands Region)
Deputy Director, Department of Commerce for the American Samoa Government

Mark Robbins, Alaska (Alaska Region)
Associate Director, Office of the Governor

Paige Rothenberger, U.S. Virgin Islands (Caribbean Region)
Coral Reef Initiative Coordinator, USVI Dept. of Planning & Natural Resources

George Stafford, New York (Mid-Atlantic Region)
Deputy Secretary of State

Bill Walker, Mississippi (Gulf of Mexico Region)
Chair of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Management Team and Executive Director of the MS Department of Marine Resources

Steve Crawford, Maine (Tribal Representative)
Environmental Director, Passamaquoddy Tribe of Pleasant Point, ME

Jacque Hostler, California (Tribal Representative)
Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Transportation and Land-Use Department, Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria

Micah McCarty, Washington State (Tribal Representative)
Tribal Chairman & Marine Policy & Fisheries Advisor, Makah Tribal Council

Kristin Jacobs, Florida (Local Government Representative)
County Commissioner - District 2, Broward County, Florida

Geraldine Knatz, California (Local Government Representative)
Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles

Joan Murphy, Illinois (Local Government Representative)
Cook County Commissioner, IL, 6th District

Kevin Ranker, Washington State (State Legislative Representative)
Washington State Senator

Additional GCC members will be announced as they are selected.  Click here to read the press release announcing the establishment of the GCC.