Today in Sacramento the CA Fish and Game Commission received a proposal for a new set of marine reserves and special closures from the North Coast Blue Ribbon Task Force. The Commission also took public comment. Audubon California’s Seabird Program Coordinator, Anna Weinstein, commented on comment on behalf of our organization and two North Coast chapters: Mendocino Coast and Redwood Region. We offered strong support for the Unified Proposal and Special Closures, and urged the Commission to adopt these proposals into law at a later hearing (probably this summer.). As expected, it was an overflow meeting, as this is a controversial and significant action. North Coast study area of the Marine Life Protection Act is from Pt Conception to the Oregon border. It is a thinly populated, economically depressed area relative to the rest of the state. It is the last coastal MLPA region to be treated (San Francisco Bay will still need to be resolved, though). (Common Murre by Ron LeValley)

The Stakeholder Group for the North Coast MLPA is comprised of 30 members, including commercial and recreational fishermen, tribes, businesses, agency staff, and conservation representatives including Audubon. The group was able to come to consensus and produce one unified proposal, which would give high protection (zero extractive use or fishing) to 6% of the coast (tideline to three miles) and moderate protection to another 7% of the coast. Several estuaries including Navarro River, Big River and Humboldt Bay are part of the MPA proposal. The other half of the proposal is seven “special closures” at important breeding islands or rocks, to benefit over 250,000 marine birds of 13 species.  (see below)

Audubon California and chapters were heavily engaged from the beginning and our footprint is on the outcome. Last year Weinstein nominated Dave Jensen to the Stakeholder Group – the cross-interest group that actually generates the MPA proposals, with advice and guidance from the Science Advisory Team. Dave is president of Mendocino Coast Audubon and an ex-commercial fishermen, a crucial advantage in negotiations. We succeeded in getting Dave appointed to the group.

Jensen formed the Special Closures Work Group, and he was careful to include a broad cross section of members onto the group. The ~10 members included fishermen, tribal representatives, agency and businesses, and conservation. The group advanced 10 sites to the larger Stakeholder Group. Seven of these were critical for seabirds and marine mammals. These are being presented today at the Commission meeting.

Dave was also a critical negotiator for the estuarine and coastal marine reserves, with his background in commercial fishing.

URL for one-page map of proposal being submitted by the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force, includes special closures:  http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/pdfs/northcoastproposals/rec_map.pdf

Seabirds to benefit: 13 species:

Common Murre

Cassin’s Auklet (CA species special concern)

Rhinoceros Auklet

Tufted Puffin (CA species special concern)

Fork-tailed Storm-petrel (CA species special concern)

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Waterbirds to benefit:

Aleutian Cackling Goose

Brant

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Text of Weinstein’s testimony:

We deeply thank the RSG and BRTF for their dedicated service.

I am here to make three brief points. First, we support the NCRSG Round 3 MPA proposal and Special Closures and urge the Commission to move quickly toward adoption without modification.

Second, we urge the Commission and the state to develop a solution to accommodate Tribal non-commercial uses of marine protected areas and special closures. We believe these uses are compatible with the MLPA and resource conservation. 

Finally, we strongly support the special closures proposal forwarded to you today by the BRTF. The BRTF made a motion to advance the special closure proposal to the Commission along with the MPAs. This was the right thing to do. The North Coast is different from other parts of California’s coast. It has abundant offshore rocks and islets that host hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals. This marine wildlife helps give the north coast its wild feel, appreciated by residents as well as wildlife watching tourists who bring millions of dollars to the local economy.

It turns out that 40% of California’s resident seabirds - 13 species - live here, including three California Species of Special Concern: Tufted Puffin, Fork-tailed Storm-petrel and Cassin’s Auklet. Castle Rock hosts 250,000 Common Murres – an incredible and rare wildlife spectacle in the lower 48 states. Many of these species are highly sensitive to disturbance, prompting state and federal agencies to create separate programs focused just on reducing disturbance at seabird colonies.

I participated as a non-voting member of the special closures work group made up of a true cross section of the RSG. The seven special closures are a tiny area – only 0.18 m2 – yet go far to safeguard marine wildlife. That’s why the managers of the Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge and the BLM’s California Coastal National Monument have expressed strong written support for the special closures, and the SAT calls them “very beneficial.”

Thank you.