MBNMS SAC: Conservation Working Group Meeting Minutes March 16th, 2004

Kaitilin Gaffney, The Ocean Conservancy, Chair
Holly Price, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Mike Osmond, World Wildlife Fund
Erin Simmons, Oceana
D’Anne Albers, Friends of the Sea Otter
Beth Dieveney and Lexi Kirk, Save Our Shores
Cecile Wahle, League of Women Voters
John Fisher, At-Large
Dave Zaches, At-Large

Gary Patton of Land Watch Monterey County gave the CWG a presentation on the status and key issues in the Monterey County General Plan and answered questions from CWG members.
The Monterey County Planning Commission will be holding hearings on the draft Plan on 3/22/04 and comments on the plan are due 3/26/04 and on the DEIR on 4/2/04. Kaitilin informed the CWG member groups that she would be drafting comments and would circulate them for sign on by other groups.

• Holly reported on the Northern Management Area decision regarding the area of the MBNMS north of Ano Nuevo. This area will now be administered by GFNMS although none of the regulations will change, as the legal boundary is not being altered. Sanctuary Program Director Dan Basta will host a public meeting on this decision on March 24th in HMB. Holly also explained the new administrative structure of regional coordination being pursued by the Sanctuary Program nationwide.
• MBNMS recently met with NMFS and PFMC staff to ensure better ongoing coordination between the sister agencies. They discussed the possibility of pursuing an MOU and of a joint staff person.
• Holly presented the fishing related Action Plans to the PFMC at their April meeting and MBNMS will be seeking future PFMC consultation a krill harvest ban, inclusion of the Davidson Seamount within the MBNMS, and SMPA Action Plan.
• Huff McGonigal is representing all of the CA sanctuaries on the PFMC’s habitat subcommittee.
• The SAC subcommittee on membership has recommended inclusion of a recreational fishing seat on the SAC.
• The CWG members congratulated the Sanctuary for their efforts to improve coordination with NMFS and the PFMC.

Federal legislation regulating cruise ship discharges is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks in Congress. The bill is authored by Congressman Durbin and Sam Farr is a co-sponsor.

• The CWG agreed to postpone a meeting in the HMB area for a couple of months.
• The CWG agreed to plan the May meeting for Cambria and to hold it on the afternoon of May 18th.

John Fisher gave an update on desal, informing the group that Cal Am is moving forward with an EIR and that there continues to be a lack of regional coordination on this issue. The CWG discussed the upcoming MBNMS/AMBAG Forum on desal.