Public Participation

Nomination Process
Public participation is key to the success of the national system. The MPA Center has worked hard to ensure stakeholder involvement during the development of the Framework and the national system, and will continue to do so as the national system is implemented.

The general public will be invited to provide public comment on all sites nominated for inclusion in the national system. All nominated sites will be published in the Federal Register. The MPA Center will forward all public comment to the MPA managing entity, which will reaffirm or withdraw the nomination based on public comment received.

The first set of nominated sites was available for public review from March 6 through April 6, 2009. You can view the response to public comments received on these sites here.

The second round of nominations were available for public review from January 7 through February 22, 2010. The MPA Center is in the process of forwarding all comments received to the managing agency, which will then reaffirm or withdraw the site’s nomination based on comments received. After final MPA Center review, mutually accepted MPAs will be formally accepted into the national system of MPAs and placed on the List of National System MPAs.

For more details on the nomination process, click here.

Public Participation in Developing the Framework
In developing the Framework for the National System of MPAs, the MPA Center engaged the nation in a multi-year dialogue to ensure that the national system represents the nation’s interests in the conservation and sustainable use of its natural and cultural marine resources. The MPA Center sought advice from:

• federal, state, tribal, territorial, regional and local government agencies  
• MPA Federal Advisory Committee
• fishery management councils
• anglers
• conservation organizations
• energy industry
• commercial fishermen
• coastal communities
• scientists
• divers
• others interested in MPAs

Additionally, the MPA Center received formal recommendations from states and territories and the MPA Federal Advisory Committee, collected comments and feedback from nine MPA Center-sponsored workshops around the country, and presented information at approximately fifty other meetings and workshops of MPA stakeholder groups. Recommendations were also provided to the Departments of Commerce and Interior in separate written reports from the MPA Federal Advisory Committee and from coastal states and territories.

Draft and Revised Draft Frameworks  
The final Framework for the National System of MPAs of the United States is the result of a multi-year development effort. The first draft Framework was published in July 2006, and was available for public comment between September 2006 and February 2007. The MPA Center received over 11,000 comment submissions comprised of approximately 100 comments from individual commenters and a petition from nearly 11,000 people. In addition, in April and October 2007, the MPA Center solicited and received advice and comments from the FAC on revising the Framework.

A Revised Draft Framework was published in March 2008 and made available for public comment between March and May 2008. The MPA Center received 34 comment submissions during this period. During both comment periods, comments were received from state government agencies, industry and conservation organizations, tribal groups, various advisory bodies, and members of the public.

The MPA Center will continue to work with and solicit input from federal, state, tribal and local government partners, Fishery Management Councils, stakeholder groups, and the general public about their perspectives on the national system.

Links
MPA Executive Order 13158
Framework for the National System of MPAs
Nomination Process Fact Sheet
Definition of Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas Inventory
Fact Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions about MPAs
Archive: Developing the National System of MPAs

For More Information
mpainfo@noaa.gov