Dear Secretary Ross,

I write to ask that you to immediately reinstate the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee.

Our changing climate is a burden carried disproportionately by the ocean. Over 90 percent of the Earth's warming is absorbed by the ocean. This makes marine protected areas, places where nature has a break from many of our demands, more important than ever. We need marine ecosystems that can continue to provide us the things we need from the ocean, like food, jobs, and opportunities for recreation. If we do not protect the ocean's important places, we risk the health and long-term productivity of the ocean.

This makes the decision to disband the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee not only tone-deaf, but a slap in the face to the stakeholders who have worked for a decade to think about the science, utility, and placement of our nation's marine protected areas.

Ocean users like scientists, recreational and commercial fishermen, conservationists, coastal citizens, and business owners have all been represented voices on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee. There is no other committee in existence that brings diverse stakeholder voices together to discuss, with federal agencies, our national network of marine protected areas.

Silencing this group of experts is a short-sighted decision with long-term consequences. The Department of Commerce must immediately rectify this grave error and reinstate the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee.

Thank you for your consideration.