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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. said Wednesday that the White House has appointed Paige Rothenberger, Coral Reef Initiative Coordinator with the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, as the representative for the U.S. Caribbean region, which includes the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
“In her current capacity, Rothenberger is responsible for the coordination and growth of the Territory’s Coral Reef Conservation Programs and represents the territory as the governor-appointed point-of-contact to the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and to the U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Committee,” de Jongh said today.
“This appointment by the White House is an honor,” Rothenberger said Wednesday, adding, “The USVI and Puerto Rico, as small islands, are particularly reliant upon the health of our coastal and marine ecosystems as they support our islands’ cultures, economies and identities. Effects of resource overuse and misuse, climate change, ocean acidification and land-based impacts are especially acute, creating unique needs and challenges.”
The National Ocean Council (NOC) named the inaugural state, local and tribal members to its Governance Coordinating Committee (GCC). The cabinet-level National Ocean Council and a directive to form the inter-governmental GCC, was created when President Obama signed an Executive Order in July 2010 which established the nation’s first comprehensive, integrated National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and Great Lakes. The creation of the National Ocean Policy (NOP) acknowledges, at the highest level, the importance of our marine resources to our nation and its communities.
“I believe that participation on the Governance Coordinating Committee provides a new mechanism for improved coordination, communication and collaboration between the U.S. Caribbean and the federal government on matters affecting the sustainable use and resiliency of our oceans and coasts. I look forward to the challenge and opportunity of collaborating with the NOC and other state, territorial and tribal representatives in implementing the NOP to ensure that our marine resources continue to provide the ecosystem services our communities rely upon,” Rothenberger stated.
Rothenberger has a B.S. degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, a M.S. degree in Environmental Science and Policy and has been working in the field of marine science and natural resource management for over 16 years, with 13 of those within the USVI. Throughout her career, Ms. Rothenberger has worked to bridge the gap between science and management, advocating for and engaging in management-driven research and facilitating the transfer of research results into the management process.
On February 23, the NOC established the Governance Coordinating Committee, in consultation with appropriate state, tribal, and local governments and organizations, to serve as a key coordinating body on inter-jurisdictional ocean policy issues. The GCC consists of 18 members from states, federally recognized tribes, and local governments. The nine regional planning areas identified in the NOP are: Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, South Atlantic, West Coast, Alaska/Arctic, Pacific Islands and U.S. Caribbean Regions. For more information on the GCC and the National Ocean Policy, please visit:
www.whitehouse.gov/oceans.
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