Email from Melissa-Miller Hansen

[Tman]

California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative

1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311 Sacramento, CA 95814 916.654.1885

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:

Nov. 12, 2009

Annie Reisewitz, MLPA Initiative

858-228-0526

Recommendations for Improving Southern California’s Marine Protected Areas Move Forward

Four marine protected area proposals will be forwarded to the California Fish and Game Commission

Sacramento – The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) has unanimously (5-0) adopted a preferred marine protected area (MPA) proposal for the south coast study region. The proposal, along with three MPA proposals developed by a regional stakeholder group, comes after extensive science evaluation and stakeholder input over the last 18 months.
"The task force’s recommendations for the south coast represent significant advancements in ocean protection and create an endowment that will strengthen California’s coastal economy long into the future," said Secretary for Natural Resources Mike Chrisman.
The recommendations will now be presented to the California Fish and Game Commission on Dec. 9 in Los Angeles. The commission’s regulatory process to adopt south coast MPAs takes about one year and includes numerous opportunities for public input.
The MLPA South Coast Study Region includes state waters from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to the California border with Mexico, including offshore islands. The MLPA strengthens the long-term protection of California’s coastal resources by improving the design and management of the state’s system of MPAs.
"Our recommendation was reached through extensive cross-interest dialogue by a diverse group of stakeholders and numerous opportunities for public input," said Cathy Reheis-Boyd, chair of the MLPA BRTF. "The preferred alternative balances the goals of the Marine Life Protection Act, science guidelines, socioieconomic considerations and diverse views in the south coast. This plan represents something we can live with today and sustain for the long term."
The BRTF proposal does not restrict public access or recreational enjoyment, such as boating, swimming, diving or kayaking. The plan allows existing commercial and recreational fishing to continue in the majority of the region, including at Rocky Point along the Palos Verdes Peninsula, while strengthening ecosystem protection at a number of key geographies such as Point Dume in Malibu and the Laguna Beach coastline. Maps and descriptions of the specific MPAs included in the BRTF proposal will be posted to the MLPA website by Nov. 19; a general description is available on the video archive of the meeting.
The adopted proposal is based on the efforts of the 64-member south coast regional stakeholder group (SCRSG), representing a broad range of interest and in-depth knowledge about local resources. The SCRSG was tasked with evaluating existing MPAs and developing alternative MPA proposals along the Southern California coast. The stakeholder group included, among others, representatives of recreational angling, diving, commercial fishing, ports and harbors, conservation, business and government agencies with MPA-related responsibilities.

- more -

After more than one year of formal meetings, numerous informal meetings, and input and review from a science advisory team, DFG, and California State Parks, the stakeholder group developed and forwarded to the task force three MPA proposals for the south coast, identified as proposals 1, 2 and 3. Proposal 0, the existing MPAs in Southern California, was also used as a baseline. The California Fish and Game Commission and DFG will automatically compare Proposal 0 as the "no project" alternative during the state regulatory process.
"I am extremely proud of the work the stakeholders and science team delivered to the task force in developing these proposals," said MLPA Initiative Executive Director Ken Wiseman. "As the commission begins its deliberations on the MPAs along the south coast, I hope they consider the invaluable amount of time and local knowledge that went into these recommendations. As an example, with the help of the stakeholders the task force was able to develop a design for the San Diego region that has even less potential economic impact than any of the three proposals developed by the SCRSG."
California has three types of MPAs that are utilized in the proposals – marine conservation areas, marine parks and marine reserves – as part of an ecosystem-based approach to protecting valuable marine life and critical habitats. Allowed activities vary greatly among the three types of MPAs, ranging from limiting certain types of commercial and recreational activities to establishing no-take zones. Public access is allowed in all three.
The MLPA South Coast Study Region encompasses approximately 2,354 square miles of state waters adjacent to five coastal counties: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego.
Led by Chair Reheis-Boyd, the five-member MLPA BRTF is comprised of public leaders with experience in addressing complex public policy issues and a diversity of professional experience. Member of the BRTF were appointed by the Secretary for Natural Resources to oversee the south coast study region planning process.
The MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force members are:

• William W. Anderson, president of Westrec Marina Management, Inc.
• Meg Caldwell, director and senior lecturer on Law, Stanford Law School's Environment and Natural Resources Law & Policy Program
• Dr. Jane Pisano, president and director of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• Catherine Reheis-Boyd, chief operating officer and chief of staff for the Western States Petroleum Association
• Gregory F. Schem, president and chief executive officer of Harbor Real Estate Group

In 1999 the state enacted the MLPA, which directs the state to reexamine and redesign California’s system of marine protected areas with the goal of increasing its coherence and effectiveness at protecting the state’s marine life and habitats, marine ecosystems, and marine natural heritage, as well as to improve recreational, educational and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems.
Making recommendations for MPAs along the south coast, utilizing the best readily-available science and the advice of stakeholders, is one of a number of steps being taken in California to implement the MLPA, which is part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ocean Action Plan. To achieve this, the California Natural Resources Agency and DFG partnered with the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation to establish the MLPA Initiative, a public-private partnership designed to help the state implement the MLPA, guided by the advice of scientists, resource managers, experts, stakeholders and members of the public.

For more information about the MLPA Initiative, please visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa.

[mwm]

I got this in today's email too and couldn't believe it. I'm so pissed off I can barely type. For the BRTF to ignore and steamroll over the fishing community is one thing, but to brag about what they've done and try to pass it off as a boon for California's economy and blatantly lie that the BRTF's proposal does not restrict public access and recreational enjoyment for kayakers, spearos and pbers (we are all subsets of the groups they say are not restricted) is criminal.

This is spitting in our eye, but most importantly misrepresenting this process and the BRTF's recommendations as fair and good for the people of California. Our representatives in this process and our association groups kayaking, fishing and spearfishing should, IMHO, issue a press release of their own specifically listing the lies in the BRTF's statement.

[Matt]

Did you expect anything less from such a person????


And the fight goes on!!

[PAL]

This is spitting in our eye, but most importantly misrepresenting this process and the BRTF's recommendations as fair and good for the people of California. Our representatives in this process and our association groups kayaking, fishing and spearfishing should, IMHO, issue a press release of their own specifically listing the lies in the BRTF's statement.

Here's my rebuttal, printing this week in Western Outdoor News. At last I can tell the whole truth: http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...7434#post47434

[T-Rex]

I couldn't believe the freakin lies in this email when I opened it. Just more propaganda and misdirection from the enviro-taliban.

At least it served as great motivation to write another batch of letters to the DFG and my worthless local representatives.

[mwm]

The "Black Shirts" Press Release:

Recreational Fishing and Boating Community fficeffice" />>>

Denounces South Coast Decision>>

Los Angeles, CA – November 10, 2009 – >>
The Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO), which represents recreational fishing and boating interests in California, today denounced a decision that could have a devastating effect on California’s economy and the public’s right to access the state’s coastal waters.

Under the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), California’s South Coast Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF), appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, today voted to send its own preferred alternative proposal to the state’s Fish and Game Commission (FGC) that will close vast areas of the South Coast to public access, ignoring the impact this decision will have on the state’s economy and budget. Particularly hard hit will be the Malibu, Orange County and San Diego County fishing communities. The recreational fishing and boating community supported Proposal 2, a proposal drafted in part by recreational and commercial fishermen and that provided significant additional conservation for California’s ocean resources while minimizing the economic impact of lost fishing opportunity.

“By making this decision, the BRTF passed over the three proposals it earlier voted to send to the Fish and Game Commission that were created by 64 stakeholders who worked 14 months to create these three proposals under an ever changing set of guidelines,” said Bob Fletcher, former president, Sportfishing Association of California, a regional stakeholder group member and PSO member. “Proposal 2 has a high conservation value that is relatively the same as other proposals but would have the least economic impact on southern California, particularly San Diego where fishing and boating is an integral component of the local economy. The BRTF choose to ignore Proposal 2 in favor of its own version.”

“Recreational fishermen are the first and best ocean stewards who strongly believe in conserving ocean resources and will be the first to step forward when conservation action is required,” said Patty Doerr, Director of Ocean Resource Policy for the American Sportfishing Association and PSO member. “In a sound public policy process, the conservation effort must also be balanced with responsibly regulated fishing, economic considerations and access to the fishery resource. The BRTF, in creating its own alternative, failed to meet these basic objectives.”

The South Coast BRTF met October 20-22, 2009, to review three marine protected area (MPA) proposals, including Proposal 2, to be forwarded to the FGC for consideration during its December meeting in Los Angeles. At that meeting, the BRTF voted to advance all three proposals to the FGC. The BRTF met again on November 10 to finalize the development of an integrated preferred alternative that would include elements from the other three proposals. Proposal 2 is one of the original three proposals forwarded to the FGC. Proposal 2 placed MPAs in locations with a high level of conservation while minimizing the economic impact on local communities and allowing recreational anglers maximum access to fishing.

“The action of the BRTF flies in the face California residents’ ability to access our state’s coastal waters and prime fishing grounds,” said Paul Lebowitz, director, Kayak Fishing Association of California, regional stakeholder group member and PSO member. “In four surveys conducted during the last two years by Research Analytics & Strategy, Californians have clearly demonstrated they strongly support maintaining recreational fishing as an activity to be enjoyed by everyone. From a Field Research poll in mid-2007 to a recent poll of Laguna Beach residents, California’s have repeatedly said they support recreational fishing, want it to continue, and favor recreational fishing over marine reserves.”>>
“This is a dark day for California’s recreational anglers”, said Steve Fukuto, president, United Anglers of Southern California and PSO member. “Most disappointing is the fact that anglers provide approximately $70 million each year to California for marine fisheries management and countless hours of volunteer time to support fisheries in the state. For example, United Anglers of Southern California were instrumental in creating the white sea bass hatchery program. No other user group even comes close to this level of investment – certainly not the people who support closing our state waters to California’s residents.”

As this BRTF creation moves to the FGC, the PSO will continue to support Proposal 2. Fletcher further said, “It is simply the most balanced alternative and represents the least negative economic and social impact. It chooses the heritage of recreational fishing in Southern California over symbolic gestures that are not necessary for the protection of our ocean resources. As a community, our goal from the very beginning has been to maximize the conservation of our oceans with the least impact on the economy. Proposal 2 does just that.”

[1Flatfish]

I'm especially rankled by the way she included the fishing stakeholder groups as if we approved of the process and the outcome.

Wayne