Vol. 1, No. 3
Contents

Headline
Features
Gulf Log
Council Currents
Resources
Gulf of Maine Watershed

Back Issues

Summer 1997
Spring 1997

Site Search
	Gulf of Maine Council Pages

Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine
Environment

Spending a few days on Campobello Island during the Gulf of Maine Council's June meeting served as a vivid reminder of the Gulf's magnificence and - after visiting a nearby seafood processing facility - its significance as a resource.

The trip reinforced my own interest in the Council's efforts to protect and enhance this unique marine environment while maintaining its commercial viability.

Admittedly, some of my motivation is selfish. I want my family to be able to enjoy the Gulf's beauty during generations of vacations to come. I also get personal gratification from helping to perpetuate this important part of our natural and cultural heritage.

From a more practical standpoint, a robust Gulf of Maine is one that will continue to help sustain our communities, which is the main reason for my participation in the Council's efforts to support the relationship between environmental stewardship and economic development.

As the Council's private sector delegate for New Hampshire, I bring business' questions and concerns to the Council. I work to develop support among members of the business community for Council activities that promote understanding, preservation, and enhancement of the Gulf.

I also chair the Council's Business Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from businesses in the Gulf of Maine watershed who recognize and value their role in helping to protect the marine environment.

They understand that many rely on marine resources for their livelihood and feel a connection with the Gulf of Maine as part of the natural heritage and legacy of New England and the Canadian maritimes.

The Business Advisory Committee promotes cooperation among the public and private sectors in addressing Gulf of Maine stewardship issues; advises the Gulf of Maine Council on policy and projects relevant to the business community; develops support for and participation in environmental projects; and works to augment public and corporate awareness of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.

Commercial enterprise within the Gulf of Maine watershed undeniably has much to gain from a productive marine environment. That connection is obvious for a business whose products come directly from the sea, such as a seafood distributor. But even those a few steps removed - for example, merchants who depend on patronage by employees or customers of marine-related businesses - depend, at least in part, on a robust Gulf of Maine for their livelihood.

Reciprocally, the Gulf's well-being is inseparable from the practices of the businesses operating within its watershed.

Despite this marriage of economic viability and environmental health, the business and environmental communities are frequently cast as adversaries, and yet they often have the same goals. In some cases, an organization may aptly be classified as both business and environmental advocate.

Experience is proving that gathering involved parties for discussion and joint planning can help resolve clashes between the practices of environmental preservation and business with balanced programs that benefit both the marine environment and its users.

At our first full-scale Business Advisory Committee meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in June, more than a dozen representatives of businesses in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts came together to learn about Council efforts relevant to their businesses, and about what role their firms could play as Business Advisory Committee members.

As this edition of the Gulf of Maine Times goes to press, we're making plans to meet again September 17 in Portland, Maine to engage even more businesses in discussions of their potential role in Council issues, projects, and activities.

This developmental stage is the perfect time to become involved in constructing our collaborative strategies to protect the Gulf of Maine for all who depend on it for survival. The diverse, multinational interests sharing the Gulf make responsible use and fair access extremely complicated endeavors, however a productive Gulf of Maine will benefit any enterprise that values economic development within the watershed.

Despite the fact that the Gulf's condition is not yet dire, we can't allow ourselves to become complacent and postpone action until our only alternative is crisis response. For more information about the Business Advisory Committee, call me at 603-594-1890.