Understanding the MLPA Process

Understanding the terminology of protection

You can get the full definitions here

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/defs.asp#system

 

 

State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA)    (BLUE AREAS ON MAPS)

(Take limited to certain pelagic species no commercial take or possibly limited take of bait) 

Any commercial and/or recreational uses that would compromise protection of the species of interest, natural community, habitat or geological features may be restricted by the designating entity or managing agency.  Certain commercial and recreational harvest of marine resources may be permitted.

 

State Marine Reserve (SMR)

(No Recreational or commercial Take)   (RED AREAS ON MAPS)

 unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource, except under a permit or specific authorization from the managing agency for research, restoration or monitoring purposes. While, to the extent feasible, the area shall be open to the public for managed enjoyment and study, the area shall be maintained to the extent practicable in an undisturbed and unpolluted state. Therefore, access and use (such as walking, swimming, boating and diving) may be restricted to protect marine resources

 

State Marine Park (SMP)  YELLOW  (AREAS ON MAPS)

(No intertidal species limited take of finfish and potential limited commercial take)

Does not meet habitat preservation guidelines (level of protection is too low)

unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living or nonliving marine resources for commercial exploitation purposes. Any human use that would compromise protection of the species of interest, natural community or habitat, or geological, cultural or recreational features, may be restricted by the designating entity or managing agency. Public use, enjoyment and education are encouraged, in a manner consistent with protecting resource values.

 

State Marine Recreational Management Area (SMRMA)

Does not meet present day guidelines proposed by DFG habitat preservation guidelines

Designed based on duck hunting zone areas

A definition proposed by United Anglers to identify an area where recreational take will be restricted by reduced bag limits and slot limits (maximum and minimum size restrictions)

 
Text Box: Who Are the other players in the Process? The Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) is composed of five public leaders selected by the secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency. The secretary appointed members based on their knowledge, vision, public policy expertise and diversity of professional expertise. The BRTF is responsible for: Overseeing a regional project to develop marine protected area proposals for California's MLPA North Central Coast Study Region to present to the California Fish and Game Commission, Preparing information and recommendations for coordinating management of MPAs with federal agencies, and Providing direction for expenditure of MLPA Initiative funds BRTF Member biographies can be found here http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/brtf_bios_sc.asp A Science Advisory Team (SAT) has been appointed to help advise the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process. The SAT provides the scientific information and technical judgment which assists the Department of Fish and Game with: meeting the objectives of the MLPA; providing informed recommendations to the Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) completing the master plan for marine protected areas (MPAs). The SAT reviews and comments on scientific papers relevant to the implementation of the MLPA, reviews alternative MPA proposals, reviews master plan documents, responds to scientific issues presented in those documents, and addresses scientific questions raised by the BRTF and stakeholders. Members of the SAT are technical experts in a range of fields including marine ecology, fisheries, the design of marine protected areas, economics, and social sciences. SAT Member Biographies can be found here http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/scsat.asp Text Box: Where can I get more information? This is the home page http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/ Text Box: How Do all these different groups interact in the process? The chart below accurately illustrates the whole process in a nutshell The 110 pg long version can be found here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/pdfs/revisedmp0108.pdf Text Box: As of Oct 1 We are HERE

Who represents Me?

South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (SCRSG)

Here is a list of the SCGSG

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news08/08096.html

The MPA process is a challenging and difficult task. Appointed representatives from many diverse stakeholder groups hold a series of discussions to receive information, represent their group's interests and work to achieve outcomes that satisfy the goals and objectives of the law and meet all the legal requirements.

SCRSG members participate in two different forums:

General meetings. Meetings include all members of the SCRSG and contain updates on the MLPA Initiative process, scientific and informational presentations and SCRSG discussions and decisions. Meetings are also when SCRSG members present their suggested MPA arrays and proposals.

These meetings are webcast and videotaped, and include opportunities for public comment.

Work sessions. Work sessions include subsets, or “work groups,” of the full SCRSG membership and are an opportunity to apply information shared during meetings. Often work sessions are focused on developing MPA concepts and arrays, but may also cover special topics (such as birds and mammals or goals and objectives).

All discussions in work groups are preliminary and developed under the guidance of the agreed upon ground rules that commit to keeping initial ideas within the work groups until they can be refined.

Once ideas are discussed within work groups and suggestions or recommendations are ready to be shared, the work groups make a presentation to the full SCRSG in a meeting.

Work sessions are not webcast or videotaped in an effort to promote open dialogue and creative thinking. While members of the public are welcome to observe these initial discussions, there is no public comment period.


The first opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the SCRSG’s discussions on MPA concepts was the March 3-4 meeting in Long Beach and at subsequent meetings and workshops each month from April through September.

On January 29 and February 10, 2009, the SCRSG work groups began Round 1 by generating ideas and options for MPAs in the south coast. The work groups completed their first “draft MPA arrays” (which are not fully formed proposals) at the SCRSG’s March 3-4 meeting in Long Beach.

It is expected that Round 2 “draft MPA proposals” were completed at the May 21 SCRSG meeting and evaluations of those draft proposals will be submitted back to the SCRSG in August.

This will start Round 3, which involves the SCRSG developing “final SCRSG MPA proposals.”

Round 3 will conclude with a joint meeting of the SCRSG and MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) in October 2009, where the final SCRSG MPA proposals are presented and the BRTF develops its recommendations to advance to the California Fish and Game Commission during a joint meeting in December 2009.