CalOceans News

Positive tone continues on the north coast

As the unified proposal for a network of marine protected areas in the north coast continues to move forward, the State of California is scrambling to find a way to honor traditional tribal uses without sacrificing much-needed protections for northern coastal waters. Humboldt County’s North County Journal published an article last week on the search for a solution, a process in which tribal leaders, state officials and conservationists expressing a shared desire to balance the needs of conservation with the cultural traditions of native tribes.

The search for a solution has a positive and collaborative tone, and we at CalOceans hope to see it brought to a successful conclusion. And it’s encouraging to recall that we’ve seen issues of tribal rights successfully and fairly negotiated in the south, central and north-central regions. Following a directive from California Resources Secretary John Laird, the Fish and Game  will work with tribal parties to ensure both the Marine Life Protection Act and tribal traditions are respected.  From the article:

“We’ve had a couple meetings with Secretary Laird and his assistant. They expressed a will to work with us to come up with a solution that we can all live with... I believe that we all have the same goal in common, and that is to manage and protect our resources in as safe a way as possible, and that can only be done through a joint effort.” - Yurok Tribal Chair Thomas O’Rourke Sr.

Jennifer Savage with the Ocean Conservancy agrees. “Both the local community and the Blue Ribbon Task Force have been steadfast in supporting traditional, non-commercial tribal uses within Marine Protected Areas.”

The North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group made up of fishermen, conservationists, scientists, recreational ocean user and local businesses created the unified proposal last year to meet the ecological requirements of the MLPA while minimizing socioeconomic impacts. The plan, which enjoys broad support from north coast residents and elected officials, has been approved by the Blue Ribbon Task Force and is currently under review by the Fish and Game Commission.

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Broad support for north coast's unified MPA plan

After months of careful study and negotiations, north coast stakeholders from a variety of industries and background met on the middle in their final round of marine protected area planning.  The group was the first in Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) history to develop a unified proposal for their region.  The map they agreed on will protect key places like Reading Rock, south Humboldt Bay, and Ten Mile Beach in Mendocino, while minimizing short-term impacts to local harbors and allowing ongoing tribal harvest.

The stakeholders are proud of their plan, which balances the needs of local people and wildlife, weighing both economic and environmental considerations to find the sweet spot.  Six of them signed on to an opinion editorial in the Eureka Times-Standard urging the state to respect their plan.  The signers, who include Aaron Newman of Humboldt
Fishermen's Marketing Association, Tim Klassen of Reel Steel
Sportsfishing, Greg Dale of Coast Seafoods; recreational diver Brandi Easter, Jennifer Savage, of Ocean Conservancy, and Pete Nichols of Humboldt
Baykeeper, represent both fishing and conservation interests, who have come together to make the MLPA work for their communities.

The plan was endorsed by Recreational Fishing Alliance, whose West Coast Regional Director Jim Martin said, "We urge all recreational fishing associations, clubs and organizations
to join us in support of the "Unified MPA Array" by endorsing this
resolution and sending it to the Blue Ribbon Task Force."

You can see the unified proposal and submit comments online at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/mpaproposals_nc.asp.

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North Coast MLPA stakeholders produce landmark unified plan

The Marine Life Protection Act’s community-driven approach is bearing fruit in the North Coast, where local stakeholders have agreed to a single unified proposal for a network of marine protected areas that will stretch from Point Arena to the border with Oregon.
 
After a rough start, the 32-member Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG)—which includes harbormasters, surfers, sport and commercial fishermen, seaweed harvesters, tribal and business leaders and conservation representatives—has found common ground. The group agreed to protect key habitat areas like Cape Mendocino, Vizcaino, Pyramid Point, Reading Rock and South Humboldt Bay. There was also unanimous support for ensuring that traditional non-commercial tribal uses can continue.  All protected areas were designed to avoid harbors to ensure safe access to local fishing grounds.

The stakeholders have been working since February to develop a marine protected area plan that would balance ecological and economic concerns.  After over 300 hours of meetings, in addition to 20 public workshops and open houses held throughout the North Coast from Casper to Smith River, the stakeholders settled on this landmark unified plan, the first of its kind in the Marine Life Protection Act process.

While the total area protected under the plan is less than in other parts of the state (the proposal calls for 13 percent of coastal waters to be protected, versus 16 to 20 percent found in other regions, conservationists and fishing groups alike were proud of their achievement.

"Everyone talked about a unified community proposal at the beginning of the MLPA process, but I wasn't expecting to pull it off. Sure enough though, everyone came together and we did it. It's a great accomplishment” said Adam Wagschal, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreational and Conservation District Conservation Director.

“The important thing is that we have a unified plan that blends conservation and consideration of the close connection most of us have with harvesting sea life—one our local communities can work together on, for the benefit of the entire region," said Bill Lemos, consultant to NRDC.

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• north coast MLPA
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• north coast RSG
• regional stakeholder group