California Ocean Resources Management Program

The California Ocean Resources Management Act (CORMA) of 1990 created the Ocean Resources Management Program to coordinate the policies of state departments with jurisdiction over ocean and coastal resources, coordinate state agency management of ocean resources with local government, and ensure effective participation in federal planning and management. The 1991 amendments to CORMA transferred all non-statutory responsibility for marine and coastal resource management programs to the Secretary for Resources.

The Ocean Resources Management Program works on the following issues:
(click on each for more information)

Governor Schwarzenegger's Ocean Action Plan
Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA)
West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health
Thank You Ocean Public Awareness Campaign
Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup (CSMW)
Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP)
California and the World Ocean (CWO) Conferences

Governor Schwarzenegger's Ocean Action Plan
The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission have documented that our nation's oceans and coastlines are in trouble and developed recommendations for improvement. In response, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released one of the most forward-looking state ocean action plans in the nation, Protecting Our Ocean: California's Action Strategy.
http://resources.ca.gov/ocean/Cal_Ocean_Action_Strategy.pdf
Press release

Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA)
The 1999 MLPA directed the state to design and manage a network of marine protected areas in order to, among other things, protect marine life and habitats, marine ecosystems, and marine natural heritage, as well as improve recreational, educational and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems. The California Resources Agency and California Department of Fish and Game are partnering with the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation and others in a new initiative to achieve the MLPA goals. Read more about the initiative here:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa

West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health
An agreement between the governors of California, Oregon, and Washington commits all three states to work together on coastal and ocean resource management. The Final Action Plan was released July 2008. The Plan and additional information can be found at: http://www.westcoastoceans.gov

Thank You Ocean Public Awareness Campaign
The California Resources Agency and NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program launched the Thank You Ocean public awareness campaign in 2006 to encourage public involvement and provide information about how to help protect Pacific Ocean's health and resources. Additionally, Governor Schwarzenegger declared June 8, 2007 as Thank You Ocean Day. Please visit: http://www.thankyouocean.org for more information

Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup (CSMW)
The workgroup facilitates regional approaches to protecting, enhancing and restoring California's coastal beaches and watersheds through federal, state and local cooperative efforts. Find out more about CSMW by visiting:
http://www.dbw.ca.gov/CSMW/csmwhome.htm

Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP)
The federal 2005 Energy Policy Act made available to the State of California $20 million from the federal Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) for mitigating the impacts of offshore oil and gas development.
http://resources.ca.gov/ocean/CIAP.html
http://www.mms.gov/offshore/CIAPmain.htm#Intro

California and the World Ocean (CWO) Conferences
The first California and the World Ocean (CWO) Conference was held in 1964 at the direction of Governor Pat Brown. The CWO conferences bring together representatives from government, academia, industry, and the public to positively influence the course of ocean and coastal protection. The conference emphasizes the need for California, other states, and even other countries to move from planning for future action, to taking action.
The next conference is planned for 2010.
Information regarding CWO '06 can be found at: http://resources.ca.gov/ocean/cwo06/.
Information regarding CWO '02 may be found at: http://www.resources.ca.gov/ocean/CWO_02/.