Understanding Area-based Management in U.S. Waters

The Biden-Harris Administration’s policy, as written in Executive Order 14008, calls for the U.S. to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Ocean and coastal resources in the United States are conserved through a variety of legal authorities and conservation strategies. This story map is designed to inform the dialogue around the goal to conserve 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, and to promote understanding of the complexity of area-based conservation across the ocean and Great Lakes in the U.S. The 30x30 goal focuses on conservation and may include several types of area-based management that contribute to a healthy and sustainable ocean. NOAA has several existing authorities to conserve or restore ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes areas, including the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act.

The Executive Order does not define the level of conservation that would be applied to measure progress toward the 30 x 30 target— Federal agencies will conduct further stakeholder engagement on formulating the concept or definition of “conserve”. On May 6, the Administration issued a  preliminary report  in response to this Executive Order that stated that “the President’s challenge specifically emphasizes the notion of “conservation” of the nation’s natural resources (rather than the related but different concept of “protection” or “preservation”) recognizing that many uses of our lands and waters, including of working lands, can be consistent with the long-term health and sustainability of natural systems.” 

For these purposes, area-based management includes any ocean or Great Lakes space with defined boundaries and regulations designed to manage human uses.

As these maps show, the marine waters of the United States are managed through a wide range of legal authorities and management strategies aimed to conserve ocean and coastal resources, promote sustainable fisheries and ensure health and human safety. This complex picture of ocean uses and authorities must inform our conservation planning.