President Trump issued an Executive Order on June 19, 2018 overturning the National Ocean Policy established by President Obama in 2010 to safeguard our coasts and oceans. Developed after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama policy prioritized the health of America’s oceans, coasts and Great Lakes and focused on the collaborative management of our waters. President Trump’s executive order instead emphasizes oil and natural gas drilling over ocean protection and deletes any consideration of climate change.
Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:
“President Trump is turning back the clock on ocean policy, willfully ignoring the best available science. He forsakes protecting and restoring our oceans in favor of promoting offshore oil and gas development. He makes no mention of climate resilience in the face of rising seas and ocean acidification, nor of the impacts to marine mammals, fish, sea turtles and birds struggling to survive in warming waters. There is no stewardship in this policy – only hunger for profit.”
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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