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EO 13547Executive OrderObama · D Quiet signal

Executive Order 13547

Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes

This executive order establishes a National Ocean Council to coordinate federal stewardship of oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, implementing recommendations from the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. It creates a framework for coastal and marine spatial planning to manage competing uses of marine environments while promoting ecosystem-based conservation. The order directs executive agencies to align their decisions with national ocean policy priorities and to participate in regional planning processes.

Federal Register Open PDF 75 FR 43023

Impact dates

  1. Council may modify structure/function after first year of operation

  2. Annual agency reports on implementation actions (for previous calendar year)

Key directives

  • Establish National Ocean Council with specified membership including Cabinet secretaries, agency heads, and White House advisors
  • Council decisions based on consensus; disputed issues escalated to President via National Security Advisor
  • Agencies must participate in coastal and marine spatial planning and comply with Council-certified plans
  • Agencies must prepare and publicly release annual implementation reports
  • Establish Governance Coordinating Committee with 18 state/tribal/local officials
  • Regional planning bodies must establish advisory committees under Federal Advisory Committee Act
  • Develop common information management system for ocean data
  • Revoke Executive Order 13366

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Establishment of National Ocean Council with Co-Chairs from CEQ and OSTP
  • Revocation of Executive Order 13366

Near term (90d)

  • Publication of Final Recommendations of Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force in Federal Register
  • Establishment of Governance Coordinating Committee with 18 state/tribal/local officials
  • Establishment of Regional Advisory Committees under FACA

Long term

  • Development and certification of coastal and marine spatial plans by regional planning bodies
  • Annual agency reporting on implementation actions
  • Accession to Law of the Sea Convention (policy goal, no deadline)
  • Potential structural modifications to Council after first year of operation

Risks & tensions

  • Consensus-based decision making with presidential escalation for disputes may create delays on contentious issues (e.g., offshore energy vs. conservation)
  • Law of the Sea Convention accession stated as policy goal but requires Senate ratification, creating tension with legislative branch
  • Coastal and marine spatial planning may trigger conflicts between federal, state, tribal, and local authorities over jurisdiction
  • Vague: 'to the fullest extent consistent with applicable law' and 'subject to availability of appropriations' create implementation uncertainty
  • Maritime security and navigational freedoms prioritized alongside environmental goals; potential tension in practice
  • No hard deadlines for spatial plan completion; timeline driven by 'Final Recommendations' not yet published
Executive Order 13547: Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes · Executive Orders