NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said conservation efforts have taken on an urgency with climate change. | Department of Commerce
The head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marked the 50th anniversary of three historic laws which have been the foundation for ocean and coastal conservation efforts in the United States.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act helped shaped how many Americans view the environment, according to an Oct. 24 news release.
“In 1972, in response to the dire state of our environment and growing public concern, Congress passed a series of bedrock conservation acts to safeguard our nation’s coasts, shores and marine ecosystems,” Spinrad said, according to the release.
National Oceanic and aAtmospheric Administration celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
| Commander Jeremy Adams/Wikimedia Commons
During the past 50 years, the nation has shown an ability to work together for economic opportunity, the protection of natural resources and wildlife and to ensure future generations can enjoy them, he said, according to the release.
Conservation and restoration efforts have taken on an increasing sense of urgency with a climate crisis, Spinrad said in the release. All parts of NOAA, from the National Marine Fisheries Service to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Office for Coastal Management, manage and protect resources and marine environments with climate resilience baked in.
“We’re committed to ensuring that the next 50 years of our conservation efforts build on our heritage and address existing and future threats with the best available science and data,” he said, the release reported.
