The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force released final reports and recommendations in March 2004. The recommendations focused on strengthening state agencies to address environmental, planning, and public trust issues in both state and federal waters; establishing an ecosystem-based protocol to improve management of federal waters; and initiating ocean education and stewardship initiatives. This initiative formed the foundation for the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan.
Links to the Task Force's Waves of Change report and recommendations and the accompanying Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Technical Report are provided below. Also available are public comments on the Task Force reports and recommendations. For more information, see the Massachusetts Ocean Management Initiative website.
Links to Reports
The Waves of Change Report and Recommendations
Waves of Change: The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Report and Recommendations includes an introduction, detailed descriptions of key ocean management themes (governance, management tools, scientific understanding, and public outreach), the Task Force's six guiding ocean management principles, and its 16 recommendations with justifications and notes on implementation.
- Waves of Change: The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Report and Recommendations (PDF, 2.3 MB)
- Principles of Ocean Resource Management (PDF, 506 KB)
Technical Report
The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Technical Report is a compendium of separate ocean resource briefings prepared for the Task Force and includes chapters on the Massachusetts public trust doctrine, a descriptive overview of traditional and emerging ocean uses, an overview of data trends and needs, a summary of state and federal regulatory authorities relating to ocean resources, and other information.
- Full Technical Report (PDF, 2.4 MB)