The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Department of State (DOS) will hold a public meeting in New York City to provide information on the proposed 10-year Ocean Action Plan (OAP) and collect public comments

The OAP is a coordinated and inclusive effort focused on improving the health of ocean ecosystems and their capacity to provide sustainable benefits to New Yorkers.

Ocean Action Plan priorities include:

• Restore seagrass protection to stabilize shorelines, reduce wave damage and provide spawning, nursery and foraging habitat for fish, shellfish, birds and sea turtles;
• Promote economic growth, coastal development and human use of the ocean in a manner that is sustainable and consistent with maintaining ecosystem integrity;
• Provide information and support tools, such as the Geographic Information Gateway, to direct ocean and coastal development in ways that will facilitate economic growth and environmental protection;
• Reduce bycatch-fish and other marine life inadvertently caught during commercial fishing; and
• Increase the resilience of ocean resources and communities in preparation for sea level rise and other climate change impacts.

What:           Public Meeting on proposed 10-year Ocean Action Plan

Date/Time:  March 5, 2015, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Location:     Central Park Zoo Education Center, 64^th and 5^th Ave, Manhattan

The public can also send written comments to:

NYSDEC Bureau of Marine Resources
205 N. Belle Mead Rd., Suite 1
East Setauket, NY 11733

or email, with Ocean Action Plan in the subject line, to: debra.abercrombie@dec.ny.gov.

Additional information on the Ocean Action Plan can be found at `http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/84428.html.

DEC Contact:  Thomas Panzone, (718) 482-4953