5 governors call on US to provide resources to implement Obama coastal planning strategy

5 governors for support of coastal strategy

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Five East Coast governors are calling on the federal government to commit the resources necessary to implement a coastal planning strategy issued by a presidential task force.

The governors of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New York and New Jersey issued a statement Thursday applauding the draft strategy issued last month by the President’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force on conserving and efficiently using ocean resources.

The five say the Mid-Atlantic is home to 43 million people, some of the nation’s most valuable fisheries, as well as wildlife feeding grounds and migration routes. They say the region also has a robust tourism industry and strong offshore winds that hold the potential for electricity generation and added jobs.