Eureka Times-Standard
It's coming.
The long-awaited, and often dreaded, state program to designate marine havens for sea life is now within reach of the North Coast. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District is looking to start the conversation early by forming a work group to address the California Department of Fish and Game's Marine Life Protection Act.
The North Coast is last on the list of regions to go through the marine reserve process, which has proven to be especially contentious in many areas. Fish and Game expects to hold “public open houses” in the Eureka and Crescent City areas this summer, and public meetings with the program's science panel could begin in early fall.
Harbor District Conservation Director Adam Wagschal said that the district wants to provide a means to coordinate local interests and develop a common understanding of what the Marine Life Protection Act is. Wagschal said that each area of the coast has its own unique issues, and believes it's critical for the process to maximize ecological benefits and minimize economic impacts -- and rely on science.
”We just want to do what we can to help it get done appropriately,” Wagschal said.
The Marine Life Protection Act was signed into law in 1999. It aims to develop a system of reserves ranging from areas where no fishing or similar activities can be done to areas in which some amount of commercial and sport fishing and other activities are allowed.
Ben Doane with Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers said it is critical for locals to be involved in the Marine Life Protection Act process. He said that without people advocating for their interests, the North Coast could end up with a bunch of offshore state parks off limits to fishing.
”If you don't stand up, you're going to get completely steam-rolled,” Doane said.
The rough timeline for the process looks to begin public informational efforts this summer. By December 2010, the full-fledged Marine Life Protection Act Initiative process will get under way, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Blue River Task Force presenting its proposal to the Fish and Game Commission for the set of reserves. Sometime in the summer of 2011, the process would be complete.
Concerns about being able to fund the implementation of the reserve system -- with research, monitoring and enforcement -- has cropped up long before the reserve system's completion. Fish and Game now estimates that it could cost $9 million to $34 million a year to fund the entire process, up from the $250,000 estimated in 1999.
Fish and Game education and outreach coordinator Kelly Sayce said that the department has enough funding to finish the public process, but that the questions about implementation and funding are being looked into.
”This is a concern that has been heard very loudly by the Department of Fish and Game,” Sayce said.
If you go:
What: First meeting of Harbor District MLPA group
Where: Woodley Island meeting room
When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday May 11
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