Aliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
P O Box 1309, Carmel Valley, CA 93924 (831) 659-2838

June 5, 2001

Paul Reilly
Department of Fish and Game
20 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Suite 100
Monterey, CA 93940

RE: Marine Life Protection Act

Dear Mr. Reilly,

Please accept the following comments regarding the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) on behalf of the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries Reserve Subcommittee. We urge the MLPA Master Plan Team and the Department of Fish and Game to place a high priority on providing as much information as possible to the public throughout the MLPA process.

The Alliance Reserve Subcommittee includes commercial fishing representatives from the five harbors on the Central Coast, a sports fishing representative, and a fish processor. Non-voting advisory members represent conservation, research, diving, harbors, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary staff, and the Institute for Fisheries Resources.

The Alliance Reserve Subcommittee believes that the goals of the Marine Life Protection Act will be successful only with the active involvement and cooperation of stakeholders and the public. For our subcommittee to understand your draft site recommendations, we must have access to the information that underpins the Master Plan Team and the Department’s decisions and recommendations. Accordingly, we urge you to provide us with as much information as possible on the rationale for siting alternatives in the draft plan. We urge you to make this information available to our subcommittee as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration of these comments.

Kathy Fosmark, Co-Chair, ACSF

Kaitlin Gaffney, Conservation Rep.

Chris Harrold, Research Rep.