Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council

In 2013, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries established its first-ever program focused advisory council, the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council. The council was established to provide advice and recommendations to the ONMS director on the sustainable management of national marine sanctuaries and ways in which the business community may help advance ONMS' goals. In particular, ONMS is seeking the council's advice on the following:

• Engaging the recreation and tourism sectors and other partners with a mutual interest in marine resource protection to promote conservation and sustainable and compatible use for current and future generations;
• Determining the economic, social, recreational, and cultural value of the National Marine Sanctuary System and communicating its value to diverse audiences;
• Leveraging the recreational, cultural, and aesthetic values of national marine sanctuaries for building strong local economies and engaged communities;
• Working with the recreation and tourism industries and other partners to improve visitor experience; and
• Enhancing public/private partnerships to achieve the sanctuary system's mission.

The council consists of 15 voting seats representing a wide variety of ocean and coastal interests including recreation, tourism, inclusive access, commercial and recreational fishing, natural and cultural resource management, marketing, and conservation. By engaging with and empowering the business community in the protection and management of special ocean places, we hope to demonstrate  that national marine sanctuaries are an important component of the solution to our economic and environmental challenges.

Documents

Charter (1MB, PDF)

Amendment (121kb, PDF)

Amendment 2 (158kb, PDF)

Advisory Council Handbook (158MB, PDF)