On April 23, 2008 the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force recommended a network of marine protected areas for the North Central Coast. Their plan, based on a compromise developed by stakeholders over the past year, will be considered by the Fish and Game Commission this summer.

The preferred alternative would fully protect 11% of state waters in the region, leaving nearly 90% of the ocean open to fishing.

Here are just a few of the special places included in the preferred alternative for the North Central Coast Region:

Point Arena
Point Arena is one of the major upwelling zones along the West coast of the U.S., which means it is a source of nutrients for fish and wildlife. Kelp forests and rocky reefs shelter red abalone and make this a popular site for free divers. At Arena Rock, underwater caves host a highly diverse fish fauna that once included abundant populations of yelloweye and vermillion rockfish, lingcod and Giant Pacific Octopus. Manchester State Beach is the longest stretch of sandy beach north of Bodega Bay and visitors to Alder Creek or the Garcia River can watch pods of harbor porpoises at play.

Salt Point
Divers and fishermen head 90 miles north of San Francisco to the shoreline around Salt Point. Nearby Stump Beach has one of the only sandy beaches north of Jenner Beach and Fisk Mill offers stunning ocean views from Sentinel Rock, via a short hike through lush Bishop pine growth. Bull kelp thrives along this stretch of coastline and can grow up to ten inches per day.

Sonoma Coast
The Sonoma coast is defined by long, sandy beaches extending for miles beneath overhanging rocky bluffs, peppered with natural arches and secluded coves. Beachgoers encounter giant green anemone and purple stars as they explore tidepools, while birders can spot godwits, willets and brown pelicans. Harbor seals lounge at Goat Rock and gray whales migrate through these waters from December to April. The Sonoma coast is also an angler's paradise, as rockfish, salmon and red abalone all call the offshore reefs and waters of the Sonoma coast home.

Point Reyes
The Point Reyes peninsula hosts 45% of North American bird species and almost 18% of California’s plant species, including 23 threatened and endangered species. From the eelgrass beds in Tomales Bay to the Tule elk grazing the headlands, it's clear that Point Reyes is a wildland habitat like no other in California. Through a haze of salty fog, visitors can see, hear, smell and even feel the thunderous ocean breakers washing over long sandy beaches and crashing into rocky cliffs. This coastal habitat is home to humpback and gray whales, seals, sea lions, and elephant seals.