The chairman of an influential fishing oversight board is urging President Barack Obama to seek more public input before making a ruling on a request for a national monument in the Atlantic Ocean.
Environmental advocates have asked the federal government to create such a monument in the Atlantic off New England.
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman Douglas Grout says the proposal needs a hard look before approval.
He sent a letter to Obama on Thursday saying there has been a lack of the public input required to establish a monument under the American Antiquities Act. Grout also says there needs to be more analysis of the impact that establishing such a monument would have.
Grout cited the fact that the area is critical for the lobster and crab fisheries.
This month, a policy board of the commission said that it’s taking a position against the proposal.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.