News

EcoLogix Group Selected By NOAA's Marine Protected Area Center to Assist in the Development of a National System of Marine Protected Areas

Annapolis, MD (January 15, 2005) - EcoLogix Group, a professional services company focused on sustainability planning and creating economic, environmental and social value, has been selected by NOAA’s Marine Protected Area Center (MPAC) to assist the federal government in developing a national system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through an extensive outreach and relationship-building effort.

MPAs in the United States are widely used as a tool for helping conserve the nation's wealth of natural and cultural resources for all Americans and the world. These precious resources, including coral reefs, kelp forests, whales, shipwrecks, and a wide variety of marine life in the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, are vital to the economic sustainability of the nation for this and future generations. Over the past two decades, the use of MPAs has risen dramatically. Currently, there are hundreds of federal, state, territory, and tribal authorities and thousands of sites in U.S. waters. Presidential Executive Order 13158 directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of the Interior to work with other federal agencies and consult with states, territories, tribes, and the public to develop a scientifically-based, comprehensive national system of MPAs. MPAC was established to execute this role and has selected EcoLogix Group to assist them in the design and execution of a multi-year process to engage the nation in developing the national system of MPAs. This process includes collecting and considering continuous stakeholder and partner input into the development of the national system, enhancing relationships with stakeholder organizations engaged in these issues, developing and applying sound science about marine resources and their use, and communicating clear, consistent information about the process. The process includes a series of workshops and listening sessions around the country to enable the MPA Center to receive input from a wide variety of stakeholders and partners.

"EcoLogix Group is extremely pleased to have been chosen to play a key role in this comprehensive effort to enhance the protection and sustainable use of our nation’s marine resources. This undertaking will help guide the United States’ direction on marine management for generations to come and it is vitally important that diverse entities, representing the broad spectrum of environmental, economic and social issues associated with marine resources, be engaged in this far-reaching effort. EcoLogix Group’s unique combination of marine policy expertise and its emergence as an industry leader in sustainability consulting makes us uniquely qualified to serve in this capacity,” stated George Chmael II, President of EcoLogix Group.

About EcoLogix Group

Headquartered on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Maryland, and operating in numerous other locations, the EcoLogix team is comprised of professionals with deep experience in all dimensions of sustainability planning services. EcoLogix Group offers a full suite of consulting services necessary to assist clients in transitioning to sustainable operations. These services include Operations Analysis, Sustainability Planning, and Program Implementation which are delivered through the use of a variety of innovative tools. EcoLogix Group is a privately held company that provides valued services to world-leading entities operating in the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Visit EcoLogix Group at www.ecologixgroup.com for more information.