The Issue In Brief
The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) (Assembly Bill 993) (read it in Portable
Document Format) requires that the Department of Fish and Game develop a plan for
establishing networks of marine protected areas in California waters to protect habitats and
preserve ecosystem integrity, among other things.
These marine protected areas (MPA's) would receive one of three classifications:
State Marine Reserve
Access and use (such as walking, swimming, boating and diving) may be restricted and no
commercial or recreational take will be allowed.
State Marine Park
Access is allowed but may be restricted and no commercial take will be allowed. Recreational
take for specific species will be allowed but may be restricted.
State Marine Conservation Area
Access is allowed. Certain commercial and recreational take will be allowed.
See http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/concepts.html#designations
for a more complete description of the classifications. You should note that the definitions are
loose enough that they easily allow for further access restrictions for recreational divers.
Recreational divers and Cen Cal are in favor of the California Marine Life Protection Act and
endorsed its passage. Our problem is with the siting of some of the various protected areas. See
Descriptions and Rationale for Proposed MPA's at
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/concepts.html
for information about the specific sites and classifications proposed.
For example, the Salt Point State Park area has been used by recreational divers since the time
before it was a state park because of its safe and protected access. We backed the acquisition of the
area as a state park and have contributed to its betterment by building the stairway to Gerstle Cove,
working on the Visitor Center and rehabilitating the group campground after the big fire. Now the
South Cove is proposed to become a State Marine Reserve which means that one of the few safe access
points for extractive users will be taken from us.
The cumulative effect of the proposed MPA sitings is that in large areas we are losing access to 50% of our traditional
safe, accessible access points for extractive users. We believe that the purposes of the MLPA (see
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/goals.html)
can be met through alternate sitings that will not steal our access points nor alienate the
recreational diving community which most enjoys our marine resources and struggles so hard to
protect them.
Most divers are not extractive users. Most dive to enjoy the sheer beauty of the marine
ecosystem. Sites should be proposed that are geared to the needs of this major constituency.
The Rickets Underwater Park in Monterey is a good example of an area that should be available
for divers (and everyone) on a non-extractive basis only. This and other areas should have the
caveat that diving access never be restricted.
What You Can Do
Step 1
There are ten scheduled Marine Life Protection Act Siting Workshops starting on Monday,
July 9 in Sebastopol. The last one will be on July 31 in Eureka. Attend the meeting nearest
to you and voice your concerns. Tell
them the specific areas where you do want a MPA, which of the three types you want and the
reasons for it. Also tell them why you don't
want a MPA at a proposed area and suggest an alternative site that will meet the proposed goals
as listed for that site. The schedule for the workshops can be found at
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/schedule.html.
The proposed Marine Protected Area sites have been developed without the input of recreational
divers. This is your chance to educate the Department.
The California Department of Fish and Game has a section of their
web site dedicated to the MLPA. Please read it thoroughly so that you
are prepared to discuss the issue intelligently. It is at:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/index.html.
What You Can Do
Step 2
Let Cen Cal know your comments about particular sitings so we know what our members want. E-mail them to
Steve Campi.
We will need to have Cen Cal's recommendations to the Department of Fish and Game on August 1
so advise us as soon as possible.
We will list your individual comments at Siting Comments.
Cen Cal will then prepare a letter for the Department of Fish and Game that reflects both our general
comments about the MPA's and specific comments about each proposed site. This will be submitted on
August 6.
What You Can Do
Step 3
Mark your calendar:
Attend the Cen Cal General Membership Meeting on Sunday, August 26
2:00 P.M.,
4016 Walnut Boulevard
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 932-8838
The meeting will include a BBQ. Food and sodas will be provided. BYOB.
RSVP to Steve Campi at (925) 932-8838 so we can provide for the proper amount of food.
An amended draft of Cen Cal's recommendations will developed at this meeting.
A map and directions to the meeting can be found here.
More Information
TIMELINE
After the Siting Workshops have been held all over the
state there will be a month of respite for the planning team where
they will incorporate public comment into the plan and will be ready
to issue a revised set of mapped proposals by September when there
will be another round of public meetings up and down the state. I am
unclear what the format for these meetings will be, that could change
based on how July's go.
After the September public meetings there will be a closure of the
public comment period (Date yet ubcertain) as the final
recommendations of the planning team are prepared for presentation to
the F&G Commission in December.
After notice from the Commission there will be at least 60 days (two
meetings) where public comments will be entertained by the
Commission. The timeline for final adjustments is April 2002 with
implementation of new MPA's scheduled for July 1, 2002.
Note: A bill has been introduced that would extend the public
comment process for 4 months. The MLPA team is proceeding with the
assumption that the bill will not pass and is attempting to stay
within the timeline specified in the MLPA act.
This seems a quick timeframe and the process is still very much a
black box variety but there is really a lot of time for all to get
their two cents in. I would counsel reasoned, well thought out
proposals for SOLUTIONS to issues we have with the MPA selections.
It is clear that rants and raves have no place at the table for the
MLPA/MPA siting process.
This is the letter submitted by Cen Cal's Resource Director,
Bob Humphrey, to the Department regarding the philosophy of the MLPA and observations about
particular sitings.
See Curt Degler's extensive list of links relating to the MLPA at
http://www.californiafish.org/mpa.html.
See the MLPA Guidebook produced by the
Ocean Conservancy & the Natural Resources Defense Council.
You can read the Natural Resources Defense Council's report on the
benefits of marine reserves at
http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/mpa.asp.
See a diver's photos and observations on New Zealand's Leigh (Goat Island) Marine Reserve is at
http://www.geocities.com/reidfish/010701goat.html.
E-mail comments and suggestions to Steve Campi Cen Cal President.
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