9/10/2010 1:44:10 PM PST
Marine Protected Areas Site Selection Process
 

News

Ray Hiemstra, Associate Director of Programs, selected as Regional Stakeholder Group member

April 7 Fish & Game Commission Meeting: At this meeting, the hard-fought reserve in Laguna could be changed in one of several options, such as changing the reserve to a "Conservation Area", or moving the boundaries of the reserve in ways that do not meet the science guidelines. Coastkeeper needs your help in communicating to the Fish & Game Commission that a Reserve in Laguna Beach that meets the science guidelines is the only acceptable option. Voice your opinion to the Commission with this template letter!

March 3 Fish and Game Commission Meeting: At this meeting in Ontario, the Commission adopted the IPA as the officially preferred alternative for the environmental review process. Stakeholder Group Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 will also be reviewed as alternatives to the IPA. In another critical development, the Department of Fish and Game staff presented various changes to the IPA to address potential problems with the IPA boundaries. Potential changes to the Laguna Reserve may not be as protective, or would no longer meet the science guidelines for a reserve. All suggested changes will be addressed at the April meeting in Monterey.

February 2010: Now that the environmental review process is underway, the Fish & Game Commission seeks public input on the MPA Alternatives. This is our chance to let the Commission know how much support their is for high levels of protection across Orange County.

December 9th: At this joint meeting of the California Fish & Game Commission and the Blue Ribbon Task Force, the task force will give their recommendations for South Coast MPA's to the commission. The task force selected an "Integrated Preferred Alternative" set of Marine Protected Areas. The suggestions from Regional Stakeholder Groups 1, 2, and 3 will also be provided to the Commission.
Learn more about the proposals: Integrated Preferred Alternative , Regional Stakeholder Group Proposals 1, 2, 3

What is the Marine Life Protection Act

The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) was signed in 1999 and directs the state to reexamine and redesign California’s system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).   The MLPA is a visionary state law that brings together scientists, fishermen, conservationists, business owners, residents and Fish & Game officials to create a long-term plan to restore and protect California's most unique and threatened marine environments.

 

What are MPAs? MPAs are named discrete geographic marine or estuarine areas designed to protect or conserve marine life and habitat (Defined in Public Resources Code, Sections 36602 and 36710).  Just as parks on land protect special lands and wildlife from overdevelopment, MPAs and reserves preserve California's stunning marine ecosystems for future generations to observe and enjoy. 

Here's a list of MPA designations:

State Marine Reserve (SMR):  all extractive activities are prohibited.

State Marine Park (SMP):  all commercial extractive activities and potentially some recreational activities are prohibited.

State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA): some recreational and/or commercial extractive activities may be limited.

 

Why is this necessary?

The Legislature addresses the need to increase the coherence of California’s MPA systems in order to increase its effectiveness at protecting the state’s marine life, habitat, and ecosystems.    Scientists have shown that marine protected areas help restore depleted fish and wildlife populations.  In fully protected marine reserves, scientists have found that fish can grow more abundant, bigger, more fertile and more resilient in protected areas.

 

Where is the Selection Process now?

A regional approach is being used in the MLPA Initiative process, where California’s 1,100-mile coastline has been divided into five study regions.  In September of 2007, regulations for the first of the five study regions were implemented for the Central Coast (Pigeon Point in San Mateo County to Point Conception in Santa Barbara County). In the second study region, four proposals for redesigning MPAs in the North Central Coast (Alder Creek in Mendocino County to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County) were presented on Wednesday, June 11 to the California Fish and Game Commission at a special meeting in Sacramento. North central coast regulations are expected to be adopted by the commission by the end of the year.

While the commission considers north central coast MPAs, the MLPA Initiative is moving to the South Coast Study Region (Santa Barabra to California/Mexico Border).  Click here to see the timeline for the South Coast Study Region.  After the South Coast planning process is completed, the north coast process will begin (Alder Creek north to the California border with Oregon), followed by the San Francisco Bay process (from the Golden Gate Bridge northeast to the Carquinez Bridge). 

 

How can I get involved in the process?

WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT! Click here for a template. We need your help to let the MLPA initiative know that you care about creating MPA's in Southern California!

This Initiative was founded on a process based on solid public leadership, and seeks the advice of public policy advisors, scientists, stakeholders, and the interested public. The success of the first phase of the MLPA Initiative was, to a large extent, brought about by the active participation of stakeholders and the general public through the regional stakeholder group, workshops, public meetings, and providing input on documents and MPA plans as they developed. The future phases of the MLPA Initiative will again afford many opportunities for public involvement.

Stay informed!  For more information about the MLPA Initiative, please visit the initiative website at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa.

Attend public meetings, or watch them (live or archived) on the Internet

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