MBNMS: CWGroup Meeting Minutes April 20th, 2004

Conservation Working Group
April 20th, 2004
9:30 - 12:00
Moss Landing Harbor Office
Meeting minutes

CWG Members attending

Kaitilin Gaffney, The Ocean Conservancy, Chair
Holly Price, Rachel Saunders, Brad Damitz, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Mike Osmond, World Wildlife Fund
Cecile Wahle, League of Women Voters
Dave Zaches, At-Large
John Fisher, At-Large
Peggy McNutt, The Nature Conservancy
D’Anne Albers, Heather Allen, Friends of the Sea Otter
Jack Wickham, Ventana Chapter Sierra Club
Kaya Pederson, At-Large, Surfrider
Lydia Bergen, PISCO
Jane DeLay, Save Our Shores
Deborah Streeter, SAC
Carol Maeher, American Cetacean Society
Steve Shimek, The Otter Project

Announcements

Jane DeLay announced a Desalination Workshop sponsored by Environmental Justice for May 7 at MIIS. For more information and invitations, contact Jane.
Deborah Streeter announced a Watershed Festival in Carmel on May 1. The festival will focus on the Carmel River but will have information on other watersheds as well.
Kaitilin Gaffney announced that May 1st is Snapshot Day.
D’Anne Albers announced the grand reopening of the FSstore at the American Tin Cannery, April 22-24.
Rachel Saunders announced that Monterey Bay Kayaks and Hannah Nevins have been named as Environmental Heroes by the National Marine Sanctuary.
Jane Delay announced that Save Our Shores is hosting a “Mountains tMarine Reserves” workshop for Tuesday, June 15, at the Seymour Center.
Steve Shimek announced the very high rate of recent sea otter strandings. He alsdistributed copies of the executive summary of the US Oceans Commission Draft Report, and he passed out The Otter Project’s summary of sea otter status.

Sanctuary Report

Holly reported that the SAC has elected Deborah Streeter Chair and Tom Canale Co-Chair at the recent SAC meeting in Santa Cruz.
Deborah Streeter gave an update on the SAC Membership subcommittee meetings and outcome. She reported that the subcommittee had recommended adding a Recreational Fishing seat tthe SAC and struggled with how tkeep the SAC at 20 voting members but did not come up with a recommendation. At the SAC meeting, the Coast Guard Rep suggested that the Coast Guard seat become non-voting, thus solving the problem.
Deborah gave a report on AMBAG’s concerns and issues about the SAC and the Sanctuary. AMBAG will take action at their May 12th meeting in Gonzales.
Holly reported that Sanctuary staff is discussing cruise ship compliance with anchoring and discharge agreements.
The Northern Management Area transition team is working through the long list of issues associated with implementation of the NMA plan.
The Marine Protected Area Working Group has been reconvened tbegin working on the list of information requirements.
The Sanctuary is developing their comment on the Monterey City and County Storm Water Plans.
John Fisher commented that communities throughout the Peninsula are all developing Storm Water and Watershed Management Plans and there is an urgent need for some coordination as watersheds can traverse several municipalities.

Future CWG Guest Presentations
The CWG agreed it would be helpful tinvite presentations on key issues. The CWG identified the following possibilities:

Gary Patton workshop on effective advocacy
Davidson Seamount (Andrew?), possibly for the SLMay meeting.
Agricultural runoff
Moss Landing Harbor
Reauthorization of the Sanctuaries Act
Global issues impacting the Sanctuary including climate change

Workshop Update
Brad Damitz gave updates on the California Coastal Sediment Management Master Plan Workshop and the Desalination Workshop.

Desalination Workshop
May 20 at the Monterey Beach Hotel, Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Panels focused on: Desal feasibility, technology, case studies, costs, and ecological impacts. The target audience is the general public and decision makers. CWG members urged that personal invitations be extended twater board members and other elected officials. Some CWG members questioned the admission fee for the general public.
California Coastal Sediment Management Master Plan and Coastal Armoring Workshop April 29 at the Monterey Beach Hotel at 2pm.“The Workshop is for the purpose of obtaining comments from the public, including representatives of public agencies, private and non-profit organization, and interested individuals, as the Sediment Master Plan process is being initiated.”

Proposed Ag Waiver Program
Steve Shimek gave a presentation on the Agricultural Waiver process and urged that CWG member groups become involved in the next public meeting.

Ag Waivers before the Central Coast Regional Board, July 8, Watsonville.

Cambria CWG Meeting