Community Members Chosen for Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council

November 2020

On September 3, 2019, NOAA announced the designation of Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary’s mission is to protect historically significant shipwrecks and related maritime heritage resources in the tidal Potomac River as well as to enhance recreational, tourism, and economic opportunities. NOAA co-manages the sanctuary with the state of Maryland and Charles County Maryland.

Community involvement is vitally important to the management of all national marine sanctuaries. With that in mind, in June, NOAA publicly announced a call for membership for a new Advisory Council for the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. The members have been selected, and the first virtual meeting – which is open to the public – will be at 6:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 7, 2020.

To attend the meeting, please register in advance at GoTo Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you are unable to participate online, you can connect to the meeting by phone at 562-247-8422, using the access code 170-191-799.

The Role of the Sanctuary Advisory Council

“The local communities have been instrumental in leading the effort for a national marine sanctuary in Mallows Bay,” says Sammy Orlando, superintendent of Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. “We at NOAA are excited to have the new Sanctuary Advisory Council continue to represent local interests and to expand partnership opportunities.”

All sites within the National Marine Sanctuary System have an advisory council made up of community members. Council members serve as a bridge between NOAA and the sanctuary communities. They help keep sanctuary staff informed of issues and concerns, while also providing information to their communities on the sanctuary’s behalf.

The Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council will advise the sanctuary on how to best protect resources and put forth ideas for the sanctuary’s management plan.

Sanctuary Advisory Council Members

Sanctuary advisory councils draw from a diverse cross-section of community members. The Mallows Bay-Potomac River council consists of 15 voting members, with an alternate for each seat. Members serve three-year terms, and are limited to three consecutive terms.