MBNMS SAC: Conservation Working Group Meeting Minutes March 18th, 2003

Vicki Nichols, Susan Danielson and Fleur O’Neill (SOS), Lydia Bergen (PISCO), Cecil Wahle (LWVMP), Steve Webster (MBA), Pat Matejcek (SC), Sean Van Sommeran and Scot Lucas (PSRF) K, Gaffney (TOC), John Fischer, David Zaches, Erin Simmons (Oceana) Mike Osmond and Meredith Lopuch (WWF), Peggy McNutt (TNC), Holly Price & Rachel Saunders (MBNMS).

• Pat announced that the public hearing reconsidering the cooling technology applied at the Moss Landing Power Plant would be held on May 15 in Watsonville.
• The SAC meeting will be April 4 in Big Sur.
• ACS will have a lecture on the Davidson Seamount on March 27 at the Boatworks at 7pm.
• The Introduced Species working group will meet on March 24 from 10-1pm at ESNERR.
• SOS is co-sponsoring an invasive species bill (McPherson as sponsor) addressing the live bait industry and funding.

• Holly reported on the successful Sanctuary Currents conference and the ongoing concerns over the fisheries white paper.
• CWG members voiced support for increasing the relationships between MBNMS and DFG, NMFS and PFMC to ensure that the agencies have better communication and work well together to protect resources within Sanctuary boundaries.
• The CWG discussed the importance of increasing both on the water enforcement presence and volunteer corps to help the Sanctuary better meet its mission. The CWG will continue to raise both of these issues throughout the JMPR process.
• Rachel suggested inviting the new NOAA enforcement officer to attend a future CWG meeting.

• The CWG discussed Crystal Cruise Lines recent admission that they did dump black, gray and oily bilge water in Sanctuary boundaries, in violation of their written commitment not to.
• The CWG discussed the Monterey City Council’s proposed actions to improve cruise ship reporting requirements and ban Crystal Cruise Lines from Monterey for 15 years.
• The CWG discussed two bills that have been introduced by the State legislature to better regulate cruise ship discharges.

• MPA Group: contentious but is moving forward with developing a framework.
• Tidepools: has good science support, focus on education, prioritizing sites that need additional protection, potential of redirecting public to less impacted sites. A draft map will be brought to the next CWG meeting.
• Benthic Habitat: adding purse seining as an issue to review, recc. may be incorporated into Sanctuary comments to NMFS on EIS for EFH.
• Davidson Seamount: strong support from working group for inclusion in MBNMS, except fishing rep. opposed to inclusion based on concerns about the potential for increased regulations affecting fishing.
• Dredging: key issues around duration of permit (CWG members suggest keeping existing schedule to allow public input), definition of “beneficial use” (CWG members suggest clear and limited definition, science-based), discussion of SF-12 move. CWG voices support for maintaining existing dredge and disposal regulations with exception of allowing reasonable movement of SF-12 in order to comply with original intent of this disposal site (that tested and clean materials meeting the EPA standard would enter the Canyon). Maps will be brought to next CWG meeting
• MPWC: CWG voiced support for tightening definitions, voiced concern over issuing permits for MPWC use at Maverick’s (how can this exception be justified from a conservation perspective?). CWG discussed existing MPWC zones and did not support modifying the zones at this time.
  

Next meeting April 15, 2003.