Sec. 503. Regional Coordination Councils

528 words·~2 min read·/bill/115/hr/4426/ih/section-503

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Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, in consultation with the affected coastal States and affected Indian tribes, shall establish or designate a Regional Coordination Council for each of the Coordination Regions designated by section 502(c). Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall publish the titles of the officials of each Federal agency and department that shall participate in each Council.

The Councils shall include representatives of each Federal agency and department that has authority related to the development of ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes policies or engages in planning, management, or scientific activities that significantly affect or inform the use of ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes resources. The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall determine which Federal agency representative shall serve as the chairperson of each Council. Not later than 3 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Governor of each coastal State within each Coordination Region designated by section 502(c) that intends to participate in the Regional Coordination Council for the Region shall inform the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality.

The Governor of each coastal State that intends to participate in the Regional Coordination Council for the Region shall appoint an officer or employee of the coastal State agency with primary responsibility for overseeing ocean and coastal policy or resource management to that Council. The Chairman of each Regional Fishery Management Council with jurisdiction in the Coordination Region of a Regional Coordination Council and the executive director of the interstate marine fisheries commission with jurisdiction in the Coordination Region of a Regional Coordination Council shall each serve as a member of the Council.

A representative of any Regional Ocean Partnership that has been established for any part of the Coordination Region of a Regional Coordination Council may appoint a representative to serve on the Council in addition to any Federal or State appointments. An appropriate tribal official selected by affected Indian tribes situated in the affected Coordination Region may elect to appoint a representative of such tribes collectively to serve as a member of the Regional Coordination Council for that Region.

The Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality shall, in consultation with the Governors of the coastal States within each Coordination Region, identify and appoint representatives of county and local governments, as appropriate, to serve as members of the Regional Coordination Council for that Region. Each Regional Coordination Council shall establish an advisory committee made up of a balanced representation from the energy, shipping, and transportation, marine tourism, and recreation industries, from marine environmental nongovernmental organizations, and from scientific and educational authorities with expertise in the conservation and management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources to advise the Council during the development of Regional Assessments and Regional Strategic Plans and in its other activities.

Each Regional Coordination Council shall build upon and complement current State, multistate, and regional capacity and governance and institutional mechanisms to manage and protect ocean waters, coastal waters, and ocean resources.