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Alliance to Protect Nantucket SoundㆍBank First NationalㆍThe Bay InstituteㆍBlack Warrior Riverkeeper
Blue Frontier CampaignㆍBurger Boat CompanyㆍCabrillo Marine AquariumㆍCalifornia State University, Bakersfield
Campbell Marketing Group, Inc. ㆍCentral New York Regional Planning and Development Board
Chesapeake ConservancyㆍCity of ManitowocㆍCity of Oswego Community Development Office
City of Port WashingtonㆍCity of SheboyganㆍCity of Two Riversㆍ Colorado Ocean Coalition
County of OswegoㆍDream Weaver TravelㆍEssential Solutions ConsultingㆍFlorida Institute of Oceanography
Friends of Matanzas, Inc.ㆍFriends of the Sea OtterㆍFuturity FoundationㆍGray Whales CountㆍGreenpeace USA
Gulf Restoration NetworkㆍH. Lee White Maritime Museum
Mallows Bay - Potomac National Marine Sanctuary (Proposed)ㆍManitowoc Public School District
The Mariners’ MuseumㆍOcean ClassroomsㆍOcean First DiversㆍOcean First Instituteㆍ The Ocean Foundation
Ocean Outfall GroupㆍThe Ocean ProjectㆍOceanic Preservation SocietyㆍOswego Countyㆍpaddle4blue
Port Washington Tourism CouncilㆍSave the ColoradoㆍSeawebㆍShoals Marine LaboratoryㆍSuncoast Waterkeeper
Surfrider FoundationㆍTeens4OceansㆍTown of Lauderdale-By-The-SeaㆍUniversity of Colorado
University of Puerto RicoㆍUniversity of Washington, Bothell
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science CenterㆍWisconsin Maritime Museum
Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
March 19, 2015
Dear Members of Congress:
As supporters, stakeholders, and partners of the National Marine Sanctuary System, we strongly urge you to
support national marine sanctuaries at no less than $60.5 million in the FY16 Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills.
National marine sanctuaries embody our nation’s commitment to conserve the best of our ocean, coasts, and
Great Lakes. Communities nationwide benefit from the multi-use, balanced approach offered by national
marine sanctuaries. Sanctuaries foster economic growth, support jobs and businesses, generate billions of
dollars in local revenue, preserve underwater and maritime treasures, and provide valuable public access for
ocean recreation, research, exploration, and education.
And for the first time in two decades, communities can nominate places of national significance in our ocean,
coasts, and Great Lakes as new national marine sanctuaries. Established in response to passionate citizens
and widespread community-led interest, the sanctuary nomination process underscores the Office of National
Marine Sanctuaries’ (ONMS) commitment to public participation, community engagement, and the use of a
comprehensive, place-based approach for accommodating multiple uses of the ocean.
Sanctuaries are a proven and successful conservation tool and the return on our investment in sanctuaries is
simply too valuable to ignore. Because of the strong ties to the local communities, businesses, and
organizations, sanctuaries have been able to heavily leverage private funds and contributions for taxpayer
benefits.
However, ONMS, which serves as trustee of these places, faces perennial budget cuts. These cuts will force
ONMS to reduce economic opportunities, close visitor’s centers, cancel collaborative partnerships with
museums and universities, terminate education and research initiatives, and diminish enforcement capacities.
Just as the nation is on the verge of celebrating and conserving its maritime resources and heritage through
new nominations of potential sanctuaries, ONMS should receive additional funding to be responsive to the
growing enthusiasm for national marine sanctuaries in communities nationwide.
We strongly urge you to remedy this situation by supporting an overall appropriation of no less than
$60.5 million for sanctuaries in FY16. Your support for national marine sanctuaries will send a powerful
and necessary message about the economic growth and job creation benefits of healthy ocean and coastal
resources, while simultaneously underscoring the continuing ecological and aesthetic value of America’s
underwater treasures.
Thank you for your consideration of this request and for all you do to improve the health of our ocean,
coasts, and Great Lakes.
Organizations
Audra Parker, Executive Director, Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, Hyannis, MA
Dennis Tienor, Vice President, Bank First National, Manitowoc, WI
Brian Baird, Director of Coast and Ocean Program, The Bay Institute, San Francisco, CA
Nelson Brooke, Riverkeeper, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Birmingham, AL
David Helvarg, Executive Director, Blue Frontier Campaign, Washington, D.C.
James M. Ruffolo, President and CEO, Burger Boat Company, Manitowoc, WI
Mike Schaadt, Director, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Los Angeles, CA
David Georgi, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA
Julie Campbell, President, Campbell Marketing Group, Inc., Kensington, MD
Jean B. Gleisner, Program Manager - Community Development & Comprehensive Planning,
Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, Syracuse, NY
Joel E. Dunn, Executive Director, Chesapeake Conservancy, Annapolis, MD
Justin M. Nickels, Mayor, City of Manitowoc, Manitowoc, WI
Mary Vanouse, Director, City of Oswego Community Development Office, Oswego, NY
Tom Mlada, Mayor, City of Port Washington, Port Washington, WI
Mike Vandersteen, Mayor, City of Sheboygan, Sheboygan, WI
Chad Pelishek, Director of Planning and Development, City of Sheboygan, Sheboygan, WI
Gregory Buckley, City Manager, City of Two Rivers, Two Rivers, WI
Jane Enterline, Ocean Ambassador, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Marlee Glasgow, Ocean Ambassador, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Jessica Kenigson, Ocean Ambassador, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Grace McLaughry, Intern, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Vicki Nichols Goldstein, Executive Director, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Ted Ross, Ocean Ambassador, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Barbara Van Dyke, Ocean Ambassador, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Boulder, CO
Audrey Tobin, Ocean Ambassador/Travel Consultant, Colorado Ocean Coalition/Dream
Weaver Travel, Boulder, CO
Philip R. Church, County Administrator, County of Oswego, Oswego, NY
David Turner, Director - Community Development, Tourism & Planning, County of Oswego,
Oswego, NY
Jane Steinbrecher, Travel Manager, Dream Weaver Travel, Boulder, CO
Steve Weaver, President/CEO, Dream Weaver Travel, Boulder, CO
Jim Hollahan, Principal, Essential Solutions Consulting, Manitowoc, WI
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William T. Hogarth, Director, Florida Institute of Oceanography, St. Petersburg, FL
Marcella Matthaei, Director of National Marine Sanctuary Program, Friends of Matanzas, Inc., St.
Augustine, FL
Jim Curland, Advocacy Program Director, Friends of the Sea Otter, Carmel, CA
Matthew Wilburn King, Ph.D., President and Chairman, Futurity Foundation, Boulder, CO
Michael H. Smith, Project Coordinator, Gray Whales Count, Santa Barbara, CA
John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director, Greenpeace USA, Washington, D.C.
Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director, Gulf Restoration Network, New Orleans, LA
Mercedes Niess, Executive Director, H. Lee White Maritime Museum, Oswego, NY
Charles A. Stek, Steering Committee Chairman, Mallows Bay - Potomac National Marine
Sanctuary (Proposed), La Plata, MD
Elliot Gruber, President and CEO, The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, VA
Graham Casden, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Ocean First Divers/Ocean Classrooms,
Boulder, CO
Maki Iatridis, Secretary, Ocean First Institute, Boulder, CO
Mikki McComb-Kobza, Ph.D., Executive Director, Ocean First Institute, Boulder, CO
Mark J. Spalding, President, The Ocean Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Joey Racano, Director, Ocean Outfall Group, Avila, CA
Bill Mott, Executive Director, The Ocean Project, Providence, RI
Louie Psihoyos, Executive Director, Oceanic Preservation Society, Boulder, CO
Margo Pellegrino, Paddling Ocean Advocate, paddle4blue, project of Blue Frontier, Medford
Lakes, NJ
Kathy Tank, Executive Director, Port Washington Tourism Council, Port Washington, WI
Gary Wockner, Ph.D., Executive Director, Save the Colorado, Fort Collins, CO
Dawn M. Martin, President and CEO, SeaWeb, Silver Spring, MD
Jennifer Seavey, Ph.D., Executive Director, Shoals Marine Laboratory, Durham, NH and Ithaca,
NY
Justin Bloom, Executive Director, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Sarasota, FL
Pete Stauffer, Environmental Director, Surfrider Foundation, San Clemente, CA
Erin Sams Cooper, Director, Teens4Oceans, Boulder, CO
Stuart Dodd, City Commissioner, Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL
Mel Cundiff, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder,
CO
Richard S. Appeldoorn, Ph.D., Professor of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico,
Mayaguez, PR
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Marc Servetnick, Professor and Chair, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Washington,
Bothell, Bothell, WA
Lynn B. Clements, Executive Director, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Virginia
Beach, VA
W. Mark Swingle, Director of Research and Conservation, Virginia Aquarium and Marine
Science Center, Virginia Beach, VA
Rolf Johnson, CEO, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI
Douglas C. Koch, Board Member, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI
Wendy Lutzke, Director of Education, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI
David Scherer, Board Member, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI
Marcia C. Flaherty, Board Member/Superintendent, Wisconsin Maritime Museum/Manitowoc
Public School District, Manitowoc, WI
Brenda Cannaliato, Education Coordinator, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience,
University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL
Jennifer Hines, Office Assistant, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of
Florida, St. Augustine, FL
Paul J. Linser, Professor, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St.
Augustine, FL
Mark Q. Martindale, Professor and Director, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience,
University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida
Individuals
Leesa Cobb, Owner, Fishing Vessel Eagle III, Port Orford, OR
Frank DePasquale, Cambria, CA
Mehgan Heaney Grier, Freedive Champion, Adventurer, Florida Keys, FL
Gabriele R. Lubach, Ph.D., Madison, WI
Arnett Smithson, Ventura, CA
Sandy Van Horn, Manitowoc, WI
Tom Van Horn, Manitowoc, WI
Natasha Way, Seattle, WA
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