PEW OCEANS COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE
National Ocean Study to Visit America's Heartland
Rescheduled Des Moines Public Hearing to Focus on Agricultural Runoff
The first independent review of national ocean policies in over 30
years will visit Des Moines, Iowa, on December 10, 2001, to study the
effects of agricultural runoff on America's coastal waters. Members of
the Pew Oceans Commission will hold a public hearing with local and
national scientists, officials, farmers, conservationists, and the
public at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 10 East Locust Street, Des Moines.
Commissioners will hear from invited experts from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m., followed by public comment from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. (complete
agenda below).
The visit to Des Moines may seem a slight departure for the Pew Oceans
Commission, which has visited coastal cities in California, Hawaii,
South Carolina, Alaska, Maine, Washington, Maryland, and New York.
However, activities far from the shore also contribute to the decline
in ocean health. For example, urban and agricultural runoff
contributes to the loss of coastal habitats and worsening water
quality. Most notably, scientists have linked nitrogen runoff from
Midwest farms that drain into the Mississippi River to a "dead zone"
in the Gulf of Mexico. By meeting with Iowans, commission members aim
to better understand the nature of the problem and find potential
solutions. The Commission will travel to New Orleans in March 2002.
"Poorly planned coastal development, polluted runoff from our cities
and farms, and overfishing have taken their toll on the health of our
oceans, which should concern all Americans whether we live along the
coast or in the heartland," said Leon Panetta, former White House
chief of staff and current chair of the Pew Oceans Commission. "As we
develop our recommendations to Congress, the Bush Administration, and
the nation, it is important that we come to Iowa and learn firsthand
about the delicate balance between our farms and our coastal waters.
Improving the stewardship of our land and oceans is our common
national bond."
The independent Pew Oceans Commission formed in May 2000 to study ways
to restore and protect the oceans. The commission includes scientists,
environmentalists, business leaders, elected officials, and
representatives from commercial and recreational fishing. After
meeting with Americans across the nation and considering the best
available scientific information, the commission will present formal
recommendations to Congress and the nation in the fall of 2002 on
issues such as marine pollution, coastal development, fishing,
aquaculture, governance, invasive species, and climate change.
Information on the Pew Oceans Commission, including recently published
reports on marine pollution, aquaculture, and introduced species is
available online at www.pewoceans.org.
Pew Oceans Commission members (*scheduled to attend the Des Moines
hearing):
Hon. Leon E. Panetta, Chair, director of the Panetta Institute for
Public Policy at California State University at Monterey Bay and
former member of Congress, director of the office of management and
budget, and White House chief of staff
Mr. John Adams, founder and president, Natural Resources Defense
Council
Hon. Eileen Claussen, president, Strategies for the Global Environment
*Hon. Carlotta Leon Guerrero, former member of the Guam Senate
*Hon. Mike Hayden, secretary-designee, Kansas Department of Wildlife
and Parks, and former president, American Sportfishing Association.
Dr. Geoffrey Heal, Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Corporate
Responsibility and professor of economics and finance at the Graduate
School of Business at Columbia University
Dr. Charles F. Kennel, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography
and vice chancellor of marine sciences at the University of California
at San Diego
Hon. Tony Knowles, governor of Alaska and former mayor of Anchorage
*Dr. Jane Lubchenco, professor of marine biology at Oregon State
University and former president of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science
Ms. Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and
vice chair of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation board of directors
*Hon. Pietro Parravano, commercial fisherman and president, Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and elected member of the
San Mateo County Harbor Commission
Hon. George E. Pataki, governor of New York
Hon. Joseph P. Riley, Jr., mayor of Charleston, South Carolina
Mr. David Rockefeller, Jr., director and former chair of Rockefeller &
Co., Inc.
Vice Admiral Roger T. Rufe, Jr., U.S. Coast Guard (retired), president
of the Ocean Conservancy
Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan, president of COSI, Inc., former astronaut and
NOAA chief scientist
Ms. Marilyn Ware, chairman of the board, American Water Works Company,
Inc.
Mr. Patten D. White, commercial fisherman, executive director, Maine
Lobstermen's Association
==================
Pew Oceans Commission
Nutrient Pollution Hearing Agenda
Monday, December 10, 2001
Embassy Suites Hotel on the River, Salon D
10 East Locust Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
8:30 a.m. Introductions and opening statements
9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Science Panel
Dr. Nancy Rabalais, Louisiana Marine Consortium
Dr. Dennis Keeney, Iowa State University
Mr. Donald Goolsby, USGS
Dr. William Mitsch, Ohio State University
10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Agricultural Panel
Mr. David Miller, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
Mr. George Boody, Land Stewardship Project
Mr. Dan Specht, Practical Farmers of Iowa
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Break for lunch
1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m. At-large Panel
Mr. Richard Moser, American Water Works Company, Inc.
Ms. Susan Heathcote, Iowa Environmental Council
2:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Public Comment
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