NOW is the time to speak up for Coastal Protection!
"MLPA – Our Living Ocean Legacy" Slide Show of Underwater World of the North Coast
MLPA informational meeting – April 15th – 6-8pm Oddfellows Hall, 545 Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa
Hosted by Russian Riverkeeper and featuring Marc Shargels underwater photos of our Coast!
Come learn about what is under the waves with stunning images of the underwater world of the North Central Coast and learn how you can help protect it for today and future generations.
We will have information on how you can take action to protect your Coastal waters and answer questions on the three MPA packages that will be considered by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on April 22-23.
Event is Free!
We need to speak up for the most protective Marine Protected Area package that will be considered by Governor Schwarzenegger’s MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force on April 22-23. Please send letters of support before April 17 to have most effect!
Five ways you can help protect your Coast!
1. Send an e-mail today supporting package #4 that gives our Coastal waters the highest level of protection for marine life.
2. Attend the BRTF hearing in San Rafael on April 22-23
3. Tell your friends to help support Coastal protection by forwarding this
e- mail to them!
4. If you belong to a conservation group please urge them to write a letter of support for package #4!
5. Attend the North Central Coast MLPA informational meeting MLPA – Our Living Ocean Legacy – Tuesday April 15th with stunning photographs by Marc Shargel of the underwater world of our local Coastal region!
Sonoma -Mendocino Coastal Alert! April 22 & 23rd – Marine Life Protection Act – Blue Ribbon Task Force Meeting– Speak up for Strong Coastal Protection as BRTF selects one of 3 proposals!! PROTECT YOUR COASTAL WATERS MLPA – BRTF to Select the North Central Coast Marine Protected Areas Tuesday-Wednesday, April 22-23, 2008 Embassy Suites Hotel 101 McInnis Parkway San Rafael, CA 94903
California is in the process of creating Marine Protected Areas along the North Central coast, from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena. These underwater state parks and wilderness sites will help protect diverse habitats and let fish and marine wildlife thrive. On April 23, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters. We need your help to make sure they choose the best plan that includes the most important places along our coast — Package 4.
Package 4 gets the highest marks from scientists and provides the highest level of protection to special places like the rocky reefs along the Sonoma Coast, seabird-nesting areas at Point Reyes, historic Fitzgerald Marine Park and the Farallone Islands. Package 4 offers the most protection to the best places in the region, while still allowing small boat fishermen access to the sea to sustain traditional fisheries and preserves most ablone diving spots. Designed with input from local residents, conservationists, abalone divers and fishermen, Package 4 offers California a true ocean legacy.
1. Send an email supporting Package 4: (by April 17th – Midnight!) Email MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov Please copy: mlpa@russianriverkeeper.org Note: Your name and comments will be published on the MLPA website, unless you request otherwise.
Sample text: Please feel free to personalize the message!
Dear MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force,
I support the network of marine protected areas in Package 4 for the North Central Coast Region of the Marine Life Protection Act. I ask you to select Package 4 as your preferred alternative. Package 4 gets the highest marks from scientists, provides the highest level of protection to special places along the coast, and enjoys support from a wide range of interests.
Marine protected areas, especially fully protected marine reserves, are an investment in the future health of our coastal waters. Scientific studies confirm that marine reserves harbor more and bigger fish and support a greater diversity of life than other areas. Healthy oceans support our coastal communities and our economy. Please give California the strongest possible legacy of ocean protection by recommending Package 4.
Sincerely,
(your name)
2. Attend the BRTF hearing in San Rafael on April 22-23
On April 22-23, the state’s Blue Ribbon Task Force will recommend a network of protected areas for our coastal waters.
We need your help to make sure decision makers hear loud and clear that local communities support “Proposal 4”, the strongest plan for protecting the North Central Coast.
If you’re able to attend a meeting in San Rafael on April 22 or 23rd and speak in support of marine protected areas, email both keith@CalOceans.org and rrkeeper@sonic.net or Click here to RSVP. We can help you prepare by sending along important points to make to the BRTF. We will be arranging a bus or carpools for those wishing to attend the meeting to reduce our greenhouse gases – e-mail rrkeeper@sonic.net if you’d like to carpool or take a bus!
Links for more information on MLPA process:
Please visit www.CalOceans.org to get information from the conservation community on every aspect of the state’s MLPA process CalOceans.org- Our coalition’s mission is to preserve a slice of undersea habitat — to allow part of our oceans to remain undisturbed by human activity so our children’s children can explore and discover the wonders of our ocean habitat and the wildlife that it supports.
For the official MLPA website visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/northcentralcoast.asp
For the maps of the three MPA packages visit:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/nccrsg-proposals.asp
For general information on MLPA and levels of Marine protected areas (MPA’s) and FAQs on MLPA visit: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/index.asp
Marine Birds and the Marine Life Protection Act Packages Package #4 has the strong support of the Pt Reyes Bird Observatory organization since it greatly increases protections for marine bird species by reducing boat traffic in sensitive areas, reducing disturbance of nesting, roosting and foraging areas and by reducing competition between fishers and birds at bird foraging sites especially those close to nesting areas.
Fishing Concerns The supporters of package #4 worked hard to listen to the fishing community, abalone divers and harbormasters and used that information to make compromises to accommodate continued fishing and diving in key areas while maintaining the highest scores for protection from the MLPA Science Advisory Team. If you are concerned about your fishing access please
Thank you for helping protect California’s oceans for future generations!