Cobscook Bay Ecology Series: Public Policy in Public Waters Panel (virtual)

Join us on Zoom for this panel.

The ocean is legally and practically speaking a commons, but this session helps us clarify a bit how that works. Each state’s waters are regulated by their department of marine resources. That department is run by a commissioner appointed by the governor, to oversee the public waters. All citizens of the state have the right to weigh in during legislative sessions and give feedback to the various committees engaged in rule-making, some organizations and lobbyists have greater voice than others. In Maine, local towns have also been standing up to request say-so in the regulation of developments in their local waters. This session will explore the policy-pathways open to us as citizens to help shape the marine economy and rules that define the destiny of lives as coastal people.

PANELISTS

Geran Tarr is a human rights activist, a former state legislator, an educator, and a food justice advocate with decades of experience in advocacy, policy, education, and strategic planning. As a legislator they served on both the House Resources and House Fisheries Committees, serving as the Co-Chair of the Resources Committee and the Chair of the Fisheries Committee, where they spearheaded multiple initiatives related to rural resilience and sustainable economies. Geran led efforts on food security and food system planning, including founding Food Security Awareness Week (now in its 13th year) and the bipartisan, bicameral Food and Farm Caucus, adventure tourism and sustainable land use planning, fisheries management, by-catch, habitat, climate change adaptation, and rural economic development.

Hilary S. Franz is a conservation attorney  formerly the commissioner of the Washington State Department of Marine resources, as well as Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands from 2017 to 2025. She led the state’s wildfire response, managed six million acres of aquatic, forest, agricultural, clean energy, commercial and residential lands, and oversaw Washington Geological Survey. In that role, Hilary led the transformation of Washington state’s wildfire response, so that in the last four years, 95% of fires have been kept to 10 acres or less. She now works as CEO of the non profit group American Forests.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84754654351?pwd=yLlug9bGhj81CoOrc0mZuE1BJmuQ9Y.1
Meeting ID: 847 5465 4351
Passcode: 120290

RSVP HERE

The Cobscook Bay Ecology Series, hosted by Greenhorns and Downeast Salmon Federation in Washington County, is a community gathering that brings together neighbors, fishermen, scientists, and local leaders to learn about and celebrate the remarkable ecology of Cobscook Bay and the greater Downeast coast. Through thoughtful conversation and shared learning, the series explores how industrial open net-pen salmon farming affects our waters, while empowering our community with the knowledge needed to care for the health of our bay and the working waterfronts that sustain us.