PDF _ RL32486 - Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Federal Legal
Authority 22-Oct-2008; Adam Vann; 29 p.  Update: Previous
Releases: October 29, 2007 June 6, 2007 February 4, 2005;
Author: Aaron M. Flynn October 5, 2004  Abstract: Recent events,
including the release of the President’s U.S. Ocean Action Plan
and reports issued by the United States Commission on Ocean
Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission, have prompted a
reexamination of U.S. ocean policy and debate over an “ecosystem
approach” to ocean resource management. One proposed mechanism
for conserving ocean resources is the Marine Protected Area
(MPA), conceptualized as a zoning system for the portions of the
ocean under U.S. jurisdiction. This has been highlighted by the
recent issuance of the Draft Framework for Developing the
National System of Marine Protected Areas (Draft Framework),
issued on September 22, 2006, by National Marine Protected Areas
Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). The introduction of H.R. 21