MBNMS Business and Tourism Activity Panel (BTAP) Minutes September 17th, 2003

Meeting Date: Wednesday, September 17th, 2003
Time: 9:30-11:30 AM
Location: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Attendance:

• Dave Ebert, BTAP Chair, SAC Business/Industry Representative
• Nicole Capps, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Sean Morton, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Annie Schnorf, Moss Landing Harbor District
• Michael Bekker, Cannery Row Company, Monterey
• Steve Schieblauer, Monterey Harbor, City of Monterey
• Steve Abbott, Duke Energy, Moss Landing

Draft Meeting Notes – a Brief Summary of the Meeting’s Proceedings.

Welcome and Introductions:

Dave E., BTAP Chair gave welcoming comments and individual introductions commenced.

Items Not on the Agenda/Announcements:

1. Mike B. reminded those attending that CA Coastal Cleanup Day and the Santa Cruz Shark Festival are coming up.
2. Mike B. mentioned that he spoke with a woman who wanted to know what materials are safe to use to clean up restaurant patios. Steve S. gave a brief history of what the City has done in the past regarding this issue.

Joint Management Plan Review (JMPR) Update and Discussion of Possible New Seats on the Sanctuary Advisory Council:

Sean M. gave a brief update on the July/August SAC meeting and what the next steps are for the management plan. Steve S. asked how permitting was going to change and Sean M. commented that the Sanctuary is exploring the possibility of setting up a de minimus threshold for research projects. Dave E. commented that the visitor center was a difficult decision for the SAC. The SAC should have concentrated on the goals of a visitor center and not weighed in on a decision to Sanctuary staff. State Parks and other agencies should have withdrawn themselves from voting. He was impressed with the effort put forth by Sanctuary staff and AMS Planning & Research. Steve S. wanted to know what happened with the NMSP internal team’s clarification of the sanctuary’s involvement in fishing regulation. Sean M. responded that there had not been any proposed changes as of yet.

The group briefly discussed the topic of possible new seats on the SAC. Steve S. commented that making a decision on SAC seats would be very difficult. He asked how the SAC was going to make a decision. Sean M. commented that it would depend on how the SAC wanted to go about it. Mike B. asked how the initial membership of the SAC was chosen. Steve S. gave a brief history of the SAC and its establishment.

BTAP Membership and Goals:

The group discussed membership for the BTAP. The group did not reach any definitive conclusions on this topic and decided to continue the discussion at the next BTAP meeting. Some of the ideas that arose from this discussion were: to concentrate on members with a Business/Tourism affiliation; certain members (i.e. diving or recreation) representing a business, not just the weekend visitor; possibly establishing a board/panel and having general membership; and establishing that voting membership would have to represent a legitimate business or association. Sean S. commented that the group might want to start with creating a set of goals for the group and that could help determine who and how many people are on the BTAP.

Next BTAP Meeting:

The next BTAP meeting is November 12th from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Location: Moss Landing Marine Lab.