Convening leaders to advance planning and policy for current and future ocean uses.
West Coast Regional Vision
Ocean conditions are changing, new uses of the sea are emerging, and the authorities for ocean management are complex and overlapping. These West Coast-wide challenges are best evaluated holistically rather than as individual management entities. Our work will support healthy, resilient ocean ecosystems and communities that thrive on ocean resources.
Goals and Objectives
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Increase understanding of past, current and future interactions among ocean uses and the ocean and coastal ecosystem.
Proactively engage federal, tribal, state and local authorities to assimilate current and emerging regional ocean uses.
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Host an intergovernmental forum that supports open, transparent and equitable dialogue based on a common vision for the West Coast.
Develop a clear, collective understanding of all co-management responsibilities and jurisdictions.
Avoid duplication in planning by building on existing efforts and including all relevant management entities.
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Facilitate ongoing discovery of, connectivity to, and sharing of data and science from all relevant entities through the West Coast Ocean Data Portal.
Include traditional knowledge in databases as appropriate.
Identify core data sets and produce synthesized data products to incorporate in decision-making.
Identify data gaps and collaborate to fill them.
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Improve understanding of tribal rights and trust responsibilities.
Ensure inclusion and consideration of traditional knowledge in ocean management and decision-making as appropriate.
Improve awareness and recognition of traditional ocean uses.
Our Team
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WCOA Staff
Full-time staff that support all WCOA project activities and coordinate engagement with member governments, Leadership Team, Tribal Caucus, partner organizations and stakeholders.
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Leadership Team
Representatives from member governments and the Tribal Caucus that serve as WCOA’s oversight body on behalf of broader membership.
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Member Governments
Tribal, state, and federal governments that convene through WCOA outreach and events.
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Tribal Caucus
Tribal governments that coordinate on ocean topics. Many, but not all, of these members are also WCOA Participants.
Our History
The West Coast Ocean Alliance is a Regional Ocean Partnership (ROP) with a history grounded in political will to develop regional coordination bodies for U.S. oceans.
ROPs are regional organizations voluntarily convened by multiple governments in a region to address ocean and coastal issues of common concern in that region.
