The Oceans Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-256), an Act of the United States Congress, became law on August 7, 2000, and went into effect on January 20, 2001. The Act establishes a 16-member Commission on Ocean Policy to undertake an 18-month study and to make recommendations to the President and Congress for a national ocean policy for the United States.

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy will hold its first regional meeting, the Commission's third public meeting, to hear and discuss issues of concern to the Southeastern Region of the United States, covering the coastal area from Delaware to Georgia.

Dates:
Meetings will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, January 15 and 16, 2002 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., both days.

Addresses:
The meeting location is the Physician's Auditorium, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC, 29424.

Supplementary Information
This meeting is being held pursuant to requirements under the Oceans Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-256, section 3(e)(1)(E)). The agenda will include presentations by invited speakers representing local and regional government agencies and non- governmental organizations, comments from the
public and any required administrative discussions and executive sessions.

Invited speakers and members of the public are requested to submit their statements for the record electronically by January 10, 2002 to the meeting Point of Contact. Additional meeting information, including a draft agenda,will be posted as available on the Commission's web site at: http://oceancommission.gov.

Contact
Terry Schaff
Commission on Ocean Policy
1120 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC, 20036
202-418- 3442
TSchaff@nsf.gov