MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
ADVISORY COUNCIL

Conservation Working Group
Meeting Minutes
February 10, 1998

Conservation Working Group (CWG) members in attendance were:  Rachel 
Saunders, Chair (Center for Marine Conservation); Jack Wickham (Sierra 
Club-Ventana Chapter); Vicki Nichols (Save Our Shores); Daphne White 
(Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History); Donna Meyers (Coastal 
Watershed Council); Milos Radakovich (BAY NET); Steve Shimek (Friends 
of the Sea Otter); Rick Starr (CA Sea Grant); and Bill Douros, Joanne Flanders 
and Aaron King (Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary).

I.	CWG Administration

A.	The January 20, 1998 meeting minutes were approved as presented.

B.	General Announcements:

· The next CWG meeting is scheduled for March 17, 1998, 9:30 a.m. - noon, 
at the Moss Landing Harbor District Office.
· The postponed February 6, 1998 Advisory Council meeting has been 
tentatively rescheduled for March 13, 1998 at the Highlands Inn.
· Other important dates:
Technical Advisory Committee for Oil Spills - March 20, 1998
Vessel traffic meeting - March 19, 1998
SOS Fundraising Cocktail Party - March 21, 1998 
Sea Otter Recovery Team meeting - March 15-18, 1998

II.	MBNMS Office Report

Joanne Flanders submitted the MBNMS office report.  See Attachment A.

· MBNMS is accepting applications for an alternate to one of the At-Large 
seats.  Requests for applications must be received by February 23, 1998 and 
applications must be postmarked by March 9, 1998.

III.	Discussion with new MBNMS Superintendent, Bill Douros

Bill Douros provided CWG members with an overview of his educational 
and professional experience and background.  Rachel Saunders reviewed the 
CWGÕs 1995 role statement and presented a history of the CWG and its vote to 
create the MBNMS.

CWG members in attendance took a few minutes to provide Bill with a 
presentation on their backgrounds and their organizations:

Donna Meyers - Coastal Watershed Council - Described their programs, the 
watersheds they are involved with, and their funding.

Vicki Nichols - Save Our Shores - Since 1980, SOS has been involved with 
numerous aspects of the MBNMS.  The ÒSanctuary StewardsÓ program plans 
to expand to the north coast of the MBNMS.  SOS has developed a new 
ÒBilingual ProgramÓ to provide outreach to the Hispanic community.  Other 
SOS programs include:  ÒOil PadÓ kit giveaway program, general education 
outreach program, Santa Cruz County Business Sanctuary Seal program.

Daphne White - PG Museum of Natural History - A past MBNMS employee 
who originally represented the League of Women Voters on the CWG.

Rick Starr - UC Sea Grant Extension Program - The Sea Grant Program 
undertakes education, research, outreach and public service.  ItÕs role is to 
bring research based information into the public policy arena.

Steve Shimek - Friends of the Sea Otter - As the new FSO Scientific Director, 
SteveÕs background is in marine biology and sea otters, but he also has a 
background in fundraising  and non-profits.  He is presently in gear up mode.  
Steve discussed his present scientific philosophies regarding sea otters in the 
scientific and management arenas.  Two major issues for him right now are 
vessel traffic and the discussed delisting process.

Jack Wickham -Sierra Club (Ventana Chapter) - Jack summarized the letter he 
wrote (See Attachment B) and expressed his belief that the MBNMS needs to 
look at long-scale concerns such as global climate change.  Jack has a 
background as a meteorologist and physical oceanographer.  He expressed 
continued concern about the lack of interest in topics such as the ATOC 
project and the effects of man-made noise (i.e. there was a very poor turnout 
to a recent presentation on ATOC).

Milos Radakovich - BAY NET - Milos has been involved in marine education 
for twenty years.  Milos discussed his philosophy to merry people to their 
environment.  This was one of the concepts behind the creation of BAY NET.

Bill Douros discussed his understanding of how the MBNMS fits into the 
Federal Government and how the Advisory Council and working groups 
interact with each other to create MBNMS policy.  Bill recognized that this 
was the ÒmodelÓ and made it clear that he understands that this may not 
necessarily be the way things ÒreallyÓ work.

Bill explained that a lesson he gained from his work with the oil industry was 
to ask the question, ÒWhat value is added?Ó  In this respect, Bill intends to 
always ask himself this question whenever he makes a decision on MBNMS 
budget, policy and direction.  Bill would also like to have the MBNMS be 
thought of as a focal point for people to get information about the local coastal 
environment.

IV.	Next Agenda Items

· Report on Sea Otter Recovery Team meeting - March 15-18, 1998
· Enforcement/Permits update


The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.


Respectfully submitted,


Aaron King and Lisa de Marignac