The Ocean River Network engages, educates and broadens a constituency in Massachusetts supportive of comprehensive area-based management of state ocean waters. The Ocean River Network was supported in 2007 by the Ocean Conservancy, Conservation Law Foundation and Mass Audubon.

ORI Relationship

To build an ocean network for Massachusetts, ORI reached out to river people, groups on the North Shore, and to environmental justice groups to come together to protect more than oceans. Mass Ocean Day at the State House with the New England Aquarium’s fifty foot inflatable right whale and assisted by Carver (MA) High School students was the culmination of six months of networking.

Overview

To build an ocean network for Massachusetts, ORI reached out to river people, groups on the North Shore, and to environmental justice groups to come together to protect more than oceans. Mass Ocean Day at the State House with the New England Aquarium’s fifty foot inflatable right whale and assisted by Carver (MA) High School students was the culmination of six months of networking.

The Bay State’s coastal waters, 1.6 million acres, are our largest public trust. They belong to us all, yet they face an onslaught of proposed new uses (indicated in Coastal Zone Management’s map of proposed projects circa 2006). Massachusetts needs a first-in-the- nation comprehensive ocean plan informed by science, citizens and user groups that will apply area-based management to commercial use, personal recreation and protection of underwater ocean habitat and marine life.

Through out the summer of 2007at festivals beaches including Nahant, Duxbury, Craigsville and Crane’s and at music festivals, Earthfest and WUMB Boston folk, people learned about the complex and dynamic challenges of managing Massachusetts ocean.

Evening receptions were held for river groups, environmental justice, and environmental groups on the North Shore. All together more than 4,000 individuals joined in the ocean river network and nearly one hundred organizations helped in various capacities.

Carver (MA) High School students in the State House. Standing behind from left are Senator Marc Pacheco, Senator Robert O’Leary, U. Mass Boston student Ryan Czekanski-Moir, Representative Sarah Peake, former U.S. Congressional Representative and Pew Oceans Commissioner Leon Panetta, and Rob Moir

Near the end of Ocean Day at the State House, Governor Patrick stopped by to talk with exhibitors, roll up his sleeve to touch a live sea urchin and to enjoy Cape Cod’s finest clam and oyster.

Passed overwhelmingly by both House and Senate, Governor Patrick signed the Massachusetts Oceans Bill into law on May 29, 2008. Now the real work of comprehensive and informed ocean management can begin.

Location: Massachusetts