MEMORANDUM

TO:                       Ocean and Coastal Community

FROM:                 Amber Mace, Executive Director, Ocean Protection Council

DATE:                  December 15, 2011

RE:                        Release of Revised Draft Ocean Protection Council Strategic Plan for 30 Day Public Comment

ATTACHMENT:  Revised Draft Ocean Protection Council Strategic Action Plan

The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) staff are pleased to present a revised draft Ocean Protection Council Strategic Plan, which is available for public comment through January 16, 2012. The previous draft strategic plan received extensive and valuable comments from OPC members, the OPC Steering Committee, OPC Science Advisory Team, federal, tribal, industry, and NGO partners, and the public during the public comment period from August 1, 2011 to September 12, 2011. This present plan attempts to address those comments and as such has changed significantly; therefore, we are undertaking an additional public comment period.

This revised draft strategic plan clarifies how OPC will engage as a science-informed policy and coordination body to tackle the complex challenges faced by California’s coastal and ocean ecosystems and communities. The plan intends to provide vision, context, and proposed actions that form a targeted and tractable approach to address these mounting challenges. It recognizes the economic value of our ocean resources and honors the OPC’s fundamental mission to protect and preserve the health of marine ecosystems. The plan identifies both opportunities and responsibilities; it is intended to be a roadmap for the Council to apply its leadership, expertise, and resources.

Summary of Changes in Response to Comments

The introductory text was streamlined and focused to more clearly and concisely articulate the context for the strategic plan, OPC’s past accomplishments, and OPC’s strategic approach to provide a unified vision for ocean governance in California.

The revised draft strategic plan includes five focal areas with an associated goal statement for each:

A. Science-based decision-making

B. Climate change

C. Sustainable fisheries and marine ecosystems

D. Coastal and ocean impacts from land-based sources

E. Existing and emerging ocean uses

Science-based decision-making was moved from the fifth to the first focal area to better reflect its foundational role for all OPC work and its cross-cutting applicability to the four substantive focal areas.

The introductory text for each focal area has been revised to provide additional background on the issues and the OPC’s past efforts, along with a clear rationale for OPC’s proposed future engagement.  The objectives and actions associated with the issues for each focal area have been streamlined and condensed.  In particular, the detailed actions proposed in the earlier draft have been converted to higher-level actions that provide direction for OPC to implement its strategic approach in a way that does not presuppose a policy outcome without public consideration by the OPC.  The OPC will carefully consider which polices to recommend based on a clear process that includes the best available science and deliberation of options.  High-level actions also help the OPC retain its agility, so that it is responsive to emerging issues and innovative ideas.  Many of the comments received contained recommendations for very specific actions.  These were accommodated as appropriate, and our partners and stakeholders will note that many of their suggested actions or priorities fall under or are consistent with the high-level actions that are included in the current draft plan.

To ensure accountability and measure its impacts, the OPC will develop outcomes or outputs for each of the actions that it chooses to pursue. Thus, the detailed metrics were removed from the strategic plan.  In many cases, the success of the proposed actions will be contingent upon successful partnerships and collaborations. OPC is mindful about launching unfunded or costly programs; OPC will work with partners to identify funding sources and develop clear plans for designing and implementing proposed projects or programs as appropriate.

Timeline and Public Engagement

As part of the second formal public comment period, the OPC staff are soliciting feedback from the public on this revised draft strategic plan. Comments can be emailed to opc.comments@scc.ca.gov or mailed to:

John Laird, Secretary for Natural Resources
Chair, California Ocean Protection Council
California Natural Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814

The plan is available here and open for public comment through 5:00 p.m. Pacific time on January 16, 2012.

15 December, 2011 – An independent adjudicator has upheld the Marine Stewardship Council certification of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) unassociated purse-seine skipjack fishery, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) announced on Wednesday…. Read more (SeafoodSource.com)

View agenda (PDF)

Good morning, BRCC and SAG members!

Source: California Fish and Wildlife

Public Review Meetings to be Held

SACRAMENTO – The California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision Executive Committee today released the draft interim strategic vision for public review. This document is the first draft of potential recommendations for a strategic vision for the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the California Fish and Game Commission (F&GC) that will be presented to the Governor and California State Legislature in February 2012 as required by AB 2376 (Huffman, 2010)…. View PDF

View Agenda (PDF)

Dear Ocean and Coastal Community,

Thank You Ocean launches new English and Spanish web pages on marine protected areas

Thank You Ocean, the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, the California Department of Fish and Game, and California State Parks have partnered to create a new web page on ThankYouOcean.orgdedicated to the issue of marine protected areas (MPAs). The web pagewww.thankyouocean.org/mpas is intended to provide the public with basic information about why MPAs are an important tool for resource protection and an overview of both state and federally-designated MPAs. From this new page, the public can learn how they can get involved in MPAs from visiting their local MPA, to learning about monitoring efforts, to becoming a volunteer. Acting as a portal, the web page offers links where the public can easily find more in-depth information about MPAs from Thank You Ocean’s partners.

Thanks to generous funding from the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, this new web page is also available in Spanish: www.thankyouocean.org/espanol/amps , complimenting Thank You Ocean’s existing comprehensive Spanish language website on ocean issues.

Gracias a la generosa contribución financiera del Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, este nuevo sitio en en internet también está disponible en Español: www.thankyouocean.org/espanol/amps . Este nuevo sitio es complementario a los otros recursos en Español sobre asuntos marinos que ofrece la campaña de Thank You Ocean.

We invite you to visit the new web pages and let us know what you think.

Sincerely,

Matt Stout
Chief of Staff/Communications Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Co-Chair, California Thank You Ocean Campaign

Amy Vierra
Ocean and Coastal Policy Analyst, California Natural Resources Agency
Interim Co-Chair, California Thank You Ocean Campaign

CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL

John Laird, Secretary for Natural Resources, Council Chair
Matt Rodriquez, Secretary for Environmental Protection
Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor, State Lands Commission Chair
Susan Golding, Public Member
Geraldine Knatz, Public Member
Fran Pavley, State Senator
Toni Atkins, State Assemblymember

Dear Ocean and Coastal Community,

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is pleased to announce the release of a new report entitled, “Plastic Debris in the California Marine Ecosystem: A Summary of Current Research, Solution Efforts and Data Gaps.”

The OPC has identified marine debris as a critical issue for California’s ocean resources. In 2007, the OPC passed a resolution aimed at reducing ocean and coastal debris and its impacts on ecosystems. That resolution identified the need to better understand the science of plastic marine debris in California. In response, the OPC commissioned a report to summarize the current state of research on the sources, abundance, pathways, and impacts of plastic debris in California, including a particular focus on the toxicology of plastics in seawater.  The report is now complete and is available on the OPC website.

The OPC tasked Ocean Science Trust (OST), a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering the best available science to state managers and policymakers, with coordinating the report. To help ensure the utmost scientific rigor, OST partnered with USC Sea Grant, a known leader on the topic of water quality, in the production of the report. The report is an objective informational document intended to inform those interested in gaining a greater understanding of the current scientific and technical knowledge about the issue of plastic marine debris in California. By summarizing what is known and not known, this report is intended to help managers and policymakers determine the next steps in addressing this important issue.

Marine debris is defined as any persistent manmade object discarded, disposed of, or abandoned into the coastal or marine environment. In California, marine debris has been detected for decades on shore, floating on the surface or in the water column, and on the seafloor. A significant portion of marine debris, up to 80% in some places, is plastic. There are a many biological, ecological, and economic impacts associated with plastic marine debris in the coastal and marine environment.  This report documents the current state of research on the sources, abundance, pathways, and impacts of plastic debris in California, with a particular focus on the toxicology of plastics in seawater.

Sincerely,
Dr. Amber Mace
Executive Director, Ocean Protection Council

View Agenda

October 5, 2011 by CA DFG News

Media Contact:
Jordan Traverso, DFG Communications, (916) 654-9937
The abalone fishery along the California coast of Sonoma County is officially closed effective immediately. The abalone season remains open in the rest of the northern California coastal counties (Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte).

On Oct. 4, the Office of Administrative Law approved the emergency regulations for an abalone closure on the Sonoma County coast. The regulations became effective upon filing with the Secretary of State at 2:42 p.m.

On Sept. 15, the California Fish and Game Commission voted to close the fishery. This action was taken in the wake of confirmed reports of dead red abalone and other invertebrates on beaches and inside coves along the coast in these areas.

Data continue to be collected that shows an abalone die-off along the Sonoma coast beginning Aug. 27. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists, these abalone deaths coincided with a local red tide bloom and calm ocean conditions. Although the exact reasons for the abalone deaths are not known, invertebrate die-offs have occurred in the past along the northern California coast due to lack of oxygen and/or poisoning when similar weather and bloom conditions existed but not at the magnitude of this event.

Reports of dead abalone and a variety of other invertebrates have come from Bodega Bay, Russian Gulch, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County and as far north as Anchor Bay in Mendocino County. Other DFG biologists and game wardens have been collecting abalone, mussels and water samples since the problem started and are continuing to document reports from the public. The public is encouraged to report the location, date, and number of dead or dying abalone to Ian Taniguchi at (562) 342-7182 or by e-mail at itaniguchi@dfg.ca.gov.

Divers are encouraged to avoid diving in the affected areas and cannot take abalone. Take is defined in Section 86 of the Fish and Game Code as “hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill.”

Abalone fishermen are advised to contact a physician immediately if they become sick, and to report symptoms to the local county health department (www.sonoma-county.org/health/about/publichealth.asp). The latest red tide updates from the California Department of Public Health are also posted online at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DDWEM.aspx.

California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Announcement

Who:  California Fish and Game Commission

What:  Notice regarding 15-day written public comment period for south coast MPAs

When:  Written comments due October 18, 2011

Where:  See notice below

From: FGC [mailto:FGC@fgc.ca.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 4:35 PM
Subject: Fish and Game Commission Notice has been posted

TO ALL AFFECTED AND INTERESTED PARTIES:

You are receiving this notice because you provided oral or written comments on the proposed regulations for south coast marine protected areas or you requested to be notified of proposed changes to the Commission’s regulations.
During the regulatory process to amend Section 632, Title 14, California Code of Regulations, regarding south coast marine protected areas, changes were made to the originally proposed regulatory language.

Because these regulations are different from, yet sufficiently related to, the originally proposed regulations, the Administrative Procedure Act requires that we make the changes available to you for a 15-day written comment period (October 3, 2011- October 18, 2011).  Comments will also be accepted at the October 19, 2011 hearing in Monterey.

The continuation notice, including an updated informative digest, and the modified proposed regulatory language are posted at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2010/#632sc.

This is also to provide you with a notice of availability of a document added to the rulemaking file. The November 3, 2010 Amended Initial Statement of Reason identified Attachment 17: California Department of Fish and Game Memo to the Commission regarding outstanding issues identified in the proposed Initial Statement of Reasons to Amend Section 632 Title 14, CCR (October 11, 2010) as a document supporting the proposed regulations.  This document is available for public inspection between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, at 1416 Ninth Street, Room 1320,Sacramento, CA, and on the Commission’s website at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2010/#632sc.

Written comments must be received in the Commission office by 5:00 pm on October 18, 2011. Interested persons may attend the October 19, 2011 hearing in Monterey and offer testimony.

Sincerely,

Sherrie Fonbuena
Associate Governmental Program Analyst

California Department of Fish and Game News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 29, 2011

Contacts:
Aaron Del Monte, DFG Information Technology Branch, (916) 322-6232
Jordan Traverso, DFG Communications, (916) 654-9937

DFG Debuts New MPA Mobile Website

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is excited to announce its new Marine Protected Area (MPA) mobile website. Now anglers, divers and other ocean users can look up current information about restricted areas and boundaries from smartphones and other portable Internet-enabled devices. This tool will be invaluable to marine enthusiasts of all kinds while they are on California’s ocean waters or shores.

“We think this site is a thing of genius,” said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This site will help immensely in our outreach efforts regarding the MPAs. And, it was created in-house, without any additional resources provided to our Internet Technology Branch. This site is testament to the caliber and commitment of DFG employees.”

Located at www.dfg.ca.gov/m/MPA , the MPA mobile website allows the public to:

• Search for any current MPA by name, county or general area to find information about the MPA’s boundaries and regulations (the site will be updated as new MPAs go into effect).

• Use an interactive map to locate any MPA and learn about its boundaries and regulations.

• Find and track the user’s current location using the GPS on a mobile device

• Locate the closest MPA(s) and determine whether or not the user is currently located within an MPA.

• Read a summary of regulations or complete regulations for any MPA.

Though some offshore areas may have spotty cell phone coverage, the website is expected to be extremely useful to anglers, boaters and others who plan to use or pass through MPA waters. Users can access the information from personal computers on land, as well as by smartphones, tablets and other portable Internet-enabled devices.

MPAs provide higher levels of protection to a variety of important California marine ecosystems. Recreational and commercial activity may be limited in these waters, including some areas that are designated as “no take,” where no fishing or collecting of any kind is allowed.  California’s MPAs were created pursuant to the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), which was designed to better conserve marine resources for long-term sustainability while also enhancing outdoor recreation and ocean research opportunities along the coast.

Fisheries are on the receiving end of federal dollars, instead of the other way around. As congressional lawmakers slash budgets in D.C., money for all-important fishery stock assessments was actually increased from $51 million to $67 million for the next fiscal year, the amount requested by President Barack Obama…. Read more (Anchorage Daily News)

In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Notice of Preparation (NOP) was recently distributed for the Marine Life Protection Act North Coast Study Region EIR. The NOP contained incorrect dates for the scoping meetings on Page 11 of Attachment A…. Read more (PDF)

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) today took emergency action to close the abalone fishery along part of the northern California coast. Specifically, the Commission voted 3-0 to close the fishery in the entirety of Sonoma County. Commissioners Daniel Richards and Richard Rogers were not in attendance…. Read more (Dept. of Fish & Game)