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

Recommendations for the Management Plan Review of California's National Marine Sanctuaries

Harbors and Dredging: Promote the recognition that harbors are primary gateways to, and partners with, the Sanctuary. Revise plan language to articulate the positive benefits of well-functioning harbors and beneficial dredging operations, and clarify Sanctuary policy and procedure for dredging to make it no more restrictive than other directly responsible regulatory and permitting agencies. Work with local ports and harbors that are within Sanctuary boundaries to identify reasonable, prudent approaches to dredging that allow for the safe operation of those ports with minimal impacts to Sanctuary resources. Since the areas around harbors are subject to more intense vessel traffic, including commercial uses, recommend Sanctuary boundary buffer zones around harbors.

Fishing: Clarify that DFG ( including the California Fish and Game Commission) and NMFS (including Pacific Fisheries Management Council) are the primary agencies responsible for fishing regulation and ensure that any zones or regulations proposed that affect fishing occur only out of a cooperative dialogue with fishing and/or aquaculture communities and are supported by them. Recognize, in writing, that Sanctuary policies affecting fishing may integrate with management tools promulgated by the state and federal governments, but are not intended to augment or supercede them.

Original Consensus-Building and Commitments: Acknowledge and review these commitments with the communities that originally supported Sanctuary's creation, and ensure that any changes proposed emerge with support from those communities.

Overlapping Jurisdictions and Boundaries: Plan Review should include analysis of jurisdictional issues and inter-governmental relationships, identification of solutions, including urban and/or harbor buffer zones, and clarifying and modifying Sanctuary boundaries for more effective administration, service delivery, and public support.

Sanctuary Program Accomplishments: Enhance program accomplishments through development of a Sanctuary public awareness and "marketing" plan, and establish specific goals to work toward that can be measured. Increase the amount of education and research conducted in coordination with ocean users (especially fishermen) and increase the number of interactive weather kiosks at ports and harbors along the California coast, which will help promote a positive image of the Sanctuary Program to a large group of primary shareholders.

Water Quality: Improve coordination and cooperation with other concerned agencies and expand public information and awareness regarding both point and non-point pollution, sources, and solutions. Work to support, without complicating, efforts of local, state and other federal agencies on clean-water projects and programs.

Regulatory and Permit Authority: Emphasize working with the many other permit agencies and non-profit organizations to achieve program goals, streamline Sanctuaries' permit process and establish an appeals process. To maintain general public support, avoid having the Sanctuary become another layer of permit regulation.

Sanctuary Advisory Council Functioning: Amend Sanctuary Charter and Protocols to enable SAC freedom to set meeting agendas, draft and send correspondence, and authorize SAC appointments through a community process; or, alternatively, re-organize the SAC under State law, a joint powers agreement, or MOU to ensure independent advice and oversight. Generally, the voice of the communities in relationship to the Sanctuary Program must be strengthened.

Human Impacts: Articulate balance between conservation and human (public) uses in the language of the Management Plan and facilitate human uses if there are no significant, cumulative, or sustained adverse impacts on Sanctuary resources; and provide for consideration of socio-economic impacts of specific Sanctuary regulations on communities, businesses and recreational activities.

Sanctuary Boundary Expansion: None of California's National Marine Sanctuaries should be expanded in size, nor should new sanctuaries be created, unless the issues identified above are substantially resolved.