The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) has implemented a process for setting strategic operational priorities at the national and regional level. These priorities support NOAA’s statutory mandates to manage marine resources, as well as Department of Commerce and NOAA strategic goals, and were developed with input from stakeholders via various venues.

This is the second document to outline enforcement priorities which are reviewed on a five-year planning cycle. This process utilizes stakeholder input and emphasizes strong relationships with State and Federal partners that result in effective and fair enforcement programs.