The Legislative Press and Public Information Bureau
Distributed April 26, 2001
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contact: John J. O'Toole, Director
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email: jotoole@rilin.state.ri.us
Rep. Naughton participates in NOAA Constituent Workshop in Washington, D.C.
STATE HOUSE -- Rep. Eileen S. Naughton, the Warwick state legislator who chairs the House Committee on Environment Accountability, visited Washington, D.C., last week to participate in the 2001 Constituent Workshop of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
"In sponsoring an annual Constituent Workshop NOAA seeks to reach out to interested parties around the country to gather feedback on its current and future efforts," said Representative Naughton, who represents District 32. "The workshop sessions, which were attended by about 300 people, dealt with such issues as marine transportation, underwater mapping, coastal surveys, and protected species."
The Warwick legislator said that principal focus of this year’s Constituent Workshop, which was held April 19, was on NOAA’s long-term vision and desired outcomes. "NOAA’s current strategic plan needs to be updated and the new plan which we discussed will shape the agency’s direction over the next five to 10 years," she said.
"I felt very much at home in discussing NOAA’s mission and in providing input from a Rhode Island perspective," said Representative Naughton. "We are the ‘Ocean State’ and this federal agency affects out state and its people in countless way. It was a great learning experience."
A Commerce Department agency, NOAA conducts research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere, space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science and
service that touch the lives of all Americans. NOAA provides these services through five major organizations: the National Weather Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services, and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
Representative Naughton said she will be returning to Washington in June to participate in a two-day session sponsored by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Services, which will be awarding national grants for aquaculture projects.
As Chairwoman of the General Assembly’s Aquaculture Commission, Representative Naughton has been a tireless advocate of building a viable aquaculture industry in Rhode Island by integrating elements of education, environment, and economics.
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