NATION: THE KANSAS CITY STAR. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2007

U.S. gets a "C-" on protecting oceans

A report praises some Improvements but sees a need for more funding to boost reforms.

By ANDREW MIGA the Associated Press'

WASHINGTON the United States made modest progress on protecting its oceans last year, but still needs to boost funding for desperately needed reforms, a commission on ocean policy said Tuesday.

Overall, the U.S. earned a "C-" grade from the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, collaboration between the U.S.Commission on Ocean Policy and the privately funded Pew Oceans Commission. That was a slight improvement over a "D+" grade on the commission's report card for 2005.

President Bush last week proposed an 8 percent increase in the $1.75 billion federal budget for coastal and marine conservation programs. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would get most of the additional $143 million budget request.

"Certainly the president has been, and is still, committed to ocean conservation," said Kristen Hellmer, spokeswoman for the White House Council for Environmental Quality. "He's got new funding for ocean initiatives."

Panel leaders praised the states as "important champions" for oceans in 2006, citing initiatives in New York and Washington as well as regional pacts on ocean management for the West Coast and the Gulf of Mexico .

The joint commission praised Congress and the administration for winning passage of federal fisheries reform, but warned that more needs to be done. Bush's designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument will help protect nearly 140,000 square miles of islands, atolls and oceans, the panel added.

But strides made last year to safeguard the nation's imperiled oceans were undercut by a lack of funding at all levels of government, the panel warned, noting that oceans also should play a central role in the national debate over climate change.