Sanctuary
Draft Management Plan due out this summer
After nearly three years
of public input the National Marine Sanctuary Program is preparing
a Draft Management Plan (DMP) and an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). The
DMP/EIS is expected to be released for public review late this summer.
Public hearings will be held throughout the region and will present
an important opportunity for citizen participation.
The DMP, a revision of
the Sanctuary's original 1992 management plan, will focus on how
best to understand and protect the sanctuary's resources. The DMP
will include twenty-five action plans that will guide the MBNMS
for the next five years. The majority of the action plans are grouped
into four main marine management themes:
o Coastal Development
(coastal armoring, desalination, harbors and dredge disposal and
submerged cables);
o Ecosystem Protection
(special marine protected areas, Davidson Seamount, bottom trawling
effects on benthic habitats, and introduced species);
o Water Quality (beach
closures, microbial contamination and cruise ship discharges);
o Wildlife Disturbance
(e.g., marine mammal, seabird, and sea turtle disturbance, motorized
personal watercraft, and tidepool protection).
The action plans were
developed based on an extensive public process conducted over the
past 4 years which included hundreds of people participating in
public scoping meetings, stakeholder work groups and Sanctuary Advisory
Council workshops and meetings. This update of the sanctuary's management
plan is part of a larger review process which also involves the
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Back national marine sanctuaries
to the north.
The sanctuary program
has produced a Citizen Update to the Joint Management Plan Review
to help the public better understand the sanctuary management plan
review process, how key coastal and ocean issues will be addressed
and how citizens can make their voices heard. For a copy of this
new publication or for updates on the JMPR call 647-4217 or visit
http://sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/jointplan/.
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