MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
ADVISORY COUNCIL

Conservation Working Group
Meeting Minutes
January 20, 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); Ellen Faurot-Daniels (Marine 
Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center); and Joanne Flanders and Lisa 
de Marignac (Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary).

Guests in attendance were:  Holly Price (MBNMS).

I.	CWG Administration

A.	The November 18, 1997 meeting minutes were approved with 
modifications.

B.	General Announcements:

· A presentation on Acoustic Themometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) is 
scheduled for January 20, 1998, 2:00 p.m. at the Moss Landing Harbor 
District Office.
· The next Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for February 6, 1998 at 
the Highlands Inn in Carmel.
· The schedule for the next CWG meeting has been changed to February 10, 
1998, 9:30 a.m. - noon, at the Moss Landing Harbor District Office.  Please 
come prepared to give a brief presentation on your agency/organization to 
the new Sanctuary Superintendent, William Douros.

II.	MBNMS Office Report

Joanne Flanders gave the MBNMS office report.  See Attachment A.  The 
following items were not included in the written report:

· A follow-up meeting to August 1997's "The Search for Balance:  Sea Lions, 
Salmon and People"  is scheduled for April 4, 1998 in Monterey.  
According to SOS, the goal of the meeting will be to draft a position 
paper/consensus document.  A facilitator will be brought in and no more 
than fifty people will be invited.
· The Jade Rule will be published in the Federal Register on January 27, 
1998.
· Sanctuary staff have scheduled a KTEH volunteer drive the evening of 
Thursday, March 12, 1998 from 6:00 to 11:30 p.m., and have invited all 
MBNMS advisors and volunteers to join.  KTEH has stated that they will 
try, as much as possible, to schedule science/nature shows around the 
evening.
· Sanctuary staff are still looking into various office space in Santa Cruz and 
at larger office space in Monterey.

III.	Overview of the Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP)

Holly Price, MBNMS, provided an update on the WQPPÕs progress over the 
past year.  See Attachment B.

The WQPP has been addressing issues associated with water quality in the 
Sanctuary, starting with urban runoff, marinas and boating, and agricultural 
runoff.  In the future, the program will look at point source pollution, and 
wetland and riparian management issues.

Highlights of general outreach and education:
· The WQPP newsletter (Coastal Links) will be releasing two issues per year.
· The first issue of the Citizen Guide series is available.  Anyone interested 
in reviewing future drafts or assisting with distribution, please contact 
Holly.
· The Watershed Box has been a tremendous success.  CWG members are 
welcome to check it out for special events.
· The watershed video is in final editing stages.
· The Watershed Educators Panel has completed a watershed webpage.

Highlights of urban runoff accomplishments.
· A model urban runoff program is underway.
· The Urban Watch Program has detected detergents in runoff due to the 
habit of restaurant staff washing down their mats outside.
· Mobile versions of the Aquarium's storm drain is available.

Highlights of marinas/boating accomplishments:
· A new element of the Oil Pad Program has been implemented - SOS's 
DockWalkers/Paddlers.

Highlights of regional monitoring accomplishments: 
· The Regional Water Quality Control Board has hired a full-time regional 
monitoring coordinator.
· CMC and CWC have initiated a volunteer Water Quality Monitoring 
Network.

Highlights of the Watershed Coordinating Council:
· The Council has held the first regional grant proposal coordination 
workshop.

Highlights of agricultural planning:
· Workshops held to evaluate strategies went well in Watsonville and Half 
Moon Bay.
· The Salinas workshop faced organized opposition to the WQPP 
agricultural planning.  The Monterey County Farm Bureau has requested 
that the WQPP staff meet with them separately.  The Monterey County 
Farm Bureau is concerned about local pesticide studies and would like to 
go over the data with the WQPP staff.
· In 1998, the WQPP will continue with implementation of existing plans 
and would like to finish the agricultural plan.

The CWG praised the numerous accomplishments of Holly and the WQPP.

IV.	Volunteer Programs in Oil Spill Response

Ellen Faurot-Daniels announced that she has been hired as Volunteer 
Coordinator for OSPR's (Office of Spill Prevention and Response) Marine 
Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center (formerly Oiled Wildlife 
Facility).  She will be coordinating volunteers for oil spill response, the 
handling and care of wild sea otters, and the handling and care of display 
otters.  She will also provide volunteer coordination assistance at other 
facilities doing wildlife rehabilitation and will be involved in a number of 
research tasks, including looking at contaminants.  Ellen explained that she 
will still be working on sea otter policy issues.  During the first year of her 
position, her funding will be paid by UCSC.

Friends of the Sea Otter (FSO) has laid off its staff member who coordinates 
the COAST program.  After Ellen's departure from FSO, no one at FSO is 
working on COAST.  COAST may be operated through the facility.  Steve 
Shimck has been hired to replace Ellen.

VI.	Issue/Program Updates

· SAC Membership - the Sanctuary Manager recommendations have been 
sent to SRD.  Old and new members will be attending the February 6, 1998 
meeting.
· Please forward nominations for the Conservation award to Rachel.
· EPA and NOAA released a draft document of recommendations to reduce 
polluted runoff in California.  CMC is drafting a comment letter and 
welcomes other organizations to sign-on to the letter.

VII.	Next Agenda Items

· Presentation from new Sanctuary Superintendent, Bill Douros
· Presentations from CWG members
· Legislation update


The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.


Respectfully submitted,


Lisa de Marignac

ENC
MBNMS Manager's Report
WQPP Report

CWG Meeting Minutes - January 20, 1998		FINAL




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