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Part
IV Table of Contents
III. Section:Management
Alternative Consequences
A.
Consequences of Status Quo
[Part
IV TOC]
Presently, numerous Federal, State, and various other regional
and local government agencies are vested with some regulatory
authority over specific resources and human activities. However,
no single entity has management jurisdiction to govern marine
resource use and conservation comprehensively (i.e., for the entire
Monterey Bay region). Generally, each has a narrow geographic
or functional jurisdiction. Present arrangements, therefore, fail
to integrate a breath of scope sufficient for sustained regional
resource protection in the offshore environment. Although the
importance of individual resources (e.g., endangered species),
is on occasion well acknowledged in law and regulatory implementation
is often fairly effective, the system under-emphasizes the national
significance and preservation priorities warranted by this unique
marine environment. Finally, the formal designation of a Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary, requires providing a concerted
management focus on coordination of existing regulatory arrangements
to ensure long-term protection of the exceptional diversity of
marine resources in the region.
1.
Enforcement
[Part
IV TOC]
A reliable and effective enforcement capability is also necessary
to ensure that regulations are observed. The CDFG has approximately
eight skiffs, two 65 ft. patrol boats (in Monterey and San Francisco),
and one 30 ft. patrol boat in San Francisco. CDFG staffs a 30
ft. vessel owned by NOAA for patrolling the Gulf of the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary. No boats patrol all ocean waters from
Bodega Bay to Monterey. The 65 ft. vessel in Monterey occasionally
patrols the area south of Monterey. (Capt. Phil Helms, CDF&G,
Personal Communication; 1989). The two larger patrol boats in
the 65 ft. (20 m) class traverse the proposed Sanctuary area out
of San Francisco, and Moss Landing from Bodega Bay to Morro Bay.
Finally CDF&G has two 100 ft. patrol boats: one originates
from the south in Long Beach and patrolling Santa Barbara and
Ventura counties, but does not conduct surveillance runs on any
regular basis into the proposed Sanctuary's southernmost segment.
The other 100 ft. boat, based to the north in Eureka, occasionally
heads south through the proposed Sanctuary.
CDFG wardens sometimes patrol the Año Nuevo Reserve
mainland, the Point Lobos Ecological Reserve, and California
Sea Otter Game Refuge by foot or vehicle; however, no wardens
are permanently located at any of these areas. Moreover, patrols
by boat or on land are responsible for enforcing not only specific
regulations applicable to individual reserves and refuges, but
also the entire California Fish and Game Code. Thus, arrangements
appear somewhat strained regarding enforcement and monitoring.
Certain enforcement functions in the proposed Monterey Bay
Sanctuary area are also carried out by the California Department
of Parks and Recreation (CDP&R). For example, although the
Año Nuevo State Reserve and the Point Lobos Ecological
Reserve were originally designated under CDF&G authority,
CDP&R assumed on-site management responsibility. Pursuant
to this mandate, CDP&R staff are permanently located at
both areas and conduct regular land-based patrols. They do not,
however, have general authority to prohibit diving, fishing,
collecting, or other human activities which may adversely affect,
e.g., through intrusion, sensitive marine resources. Also, the
CDP&R is entirely dependent on the CDF&G for the prosecution
of violations occurring beyond the intertidal zone. As a result,
actual CDP&R enforcement levels in the study area tend to
reflect CDF&G capabilities. The CDF&G occasionally conducts
patrols of Año Nuevo and Point Lobos Reserves, but, due
to personnel shortages, the CDP&R has assumed primary management
responsibility here as well.
The NMFS recently entered into a cooperative agreement with
the State CDF&G whereby both parties agreed to enforce each
other's regulations. However, due to practical constraints of
budget and staffing NMFS enforcement activity has remained largely
confined to its own statutory responsibilities.
In view of available State and Federal enforcement staff and
the large marine area of approximately 2,200 square nmi (6860
square Km) to be covered, the current enforcement capability
appears inadequate.
2.
Research and Education
[Part
IV TOC]
The existing management system contains no mechanism for maximizing
the area's research value, e.g., by means of a comprehensive
or extended program framework. A variety of organizations conduct
significant research in the ocean waters of the Monterey Bay
area on an individual basis. The establishment of a Monterey
Bay Marine Geological Consortium has been proposed. The consortium,
consisting of the Institute of Marine Sciences-University of
California at Santa Cruz, the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories,
and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, would improve
marine geological and geophysical studies of the Monterey Bay
and offshore regions. To date, however, no coordinating entity
exists to identify regional research information needs or to
design strategies for filling them. Thus, scientific research
is pursued in a rather fragmented fashion which often fails
to incorporate other relevant environmental quality parameters.
Although literature and other educational information on Monterey
Bay and its habitat values is available to the general public,
these efforts are largely uncoordinated and collected research
is rarely applied to management problems. Thus, tourists, recreational
fishermen and, nature enthusiasts who visit the Bay have little
or no knowledge of its geology or of the complex communities
of biota that inhabit the canyon and surrounding waters. Nor
do they realize the value of Bay waters to the mammals and birds
that feed there or pass through in transit.
B.
Consequences of Sanctuary Alternative 1.
[Part
IV TOC]
This alternative is cost effective as it slowly phases in the
necessary management structure in parallel to the growing presence
of the Sanctuary and the demands of its users. However, the Sanctuary
would initially have low visibility and reduce the effectiveness
of the resource protection regime due to the limited staff. In
addition, due to the long coastline boundary of the Sanctuary
and the variety of shoreline habitats and user groups, one centralized
information center may not provide optimal representation or access
to widely separated visitor groups.
1.
Enforcement
[Part
IV TOC]
Gradually NOAA would provide an enhanced enforcement regime by
providing additional boats, personnel and equipment for on the
water and surveillance and enforcement. See the Management Plan
for possible additional enforcement measures provided by the Sanctuary.
2.
Research and Education
[Part
IV TOC]
Research and education programs should benefit from Sanctuary
designation with the implementation of NOAA programs and assistance
with coordination. See the Management Plan for possible areas
where the Sanctuary could positively impact existing programs.
C.
Consequences of Sanctuary Alternative 2 (Preferred)
[Part
IV TOC]
The preferred alternative would ensure that the Sanctuary program
is implemented rapidly and cultivates the public support gained
during the early, designation process. The wide variety of opportunities
for interpretation and research requires the full-time attention
of individual research and education coordinators. The Sanctuary
Manager would then be able to devote him/herself to the coordination
of existing management authorities and resource protection. In
the long run this alternative would not increase the budget of
the Sanctuary as all of these personnel will be required for effective
management in the future.
1.
Enforcement
[Part
IV TOC]
The impact of enhanced surveillance and enforcement efforts focused
on Sanctuary resources should be beneficial. What is proposed
is a coordinated emphasis on resource protection in Monterey Bay
rather than an elaborate surveillance and enforcement presence.
Presently, NOAA envisions a State-Federal cooperative enforcement
system involving the California Departments of Fish and Game,
and Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and
the National Park Service. Since the proposed Sanctuary would
include both State and Federal waters close coordination between
State and Federal authorities would be required.
2.
Research and Education
[Part
IV TOC]
The impacts resulting from implementation of the research and
education program are also expected to be positive. The research
program would result in a coordinated mechanism for studying
Monterey Bay area's resources and developing effective management
strategies. The educational program is designed to enhance public
awareness of the Bay area resources and the importance of protecting
such special marine areas.
The research program would provide a coordinated effort to
obtain vital baseline and monitoring data on the resources and
on human activities in Monterey Bay area. Information on water
quality and circulation, species density and diversity, fisheries
resources and marine mammals and seabirds would be used in assessing
the health of the Bay environment and the effects of human activity
in the area. This would improve management's ability to develop
long-term planning for the Sanctuary and would provide data
useful in responding to oil spills.
The educational program would improve public awareness of the
importance and fragility of Monterey Bay's resources and thus
engender support for resource protection efforts. The program
would provide audiovisual material, exhibits, and other information
products for individuals, schools and interested groups.
A major responsibility of the Sanctuary manager is the development
and enhancement of education and research efforts. As presently
envisioned, the Sanctuary Information Center might also serve
as the administrative headquarters for the Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary Information Center would be the focus for research
and education activity. The Center would collect literature
and information on resources and activities in the Sanctuary,
and also provide visitor orientation and education materials,
such as slides, brochures, and apprise visitors both of regulations
and the need for protecting the marine resources. Efforts to
develop the Sanctuary Information Center will be coordinated
with existing agencies, particularly the State of California
Departments of Parks and Recreation and Fish and Game; private
institutions, such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and other Federal
agencies such as the National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife
Service.
The general information collection would include both technical
and non-technical reference material, and would provide as complete
and detailed a description of Sanctuary conditions and use over
time as possible. In addition, the Sanctuary manager would ask
researchers to notify the Sanctuary Information Center of any
research projects in the sanctuary and to submit reports of
their research. This notification process would result in a
master listing of research projects conducted from the time
of designation. This listing would be continually updated and
kept open for public use.
A notification procedure should ensure that research parties
are not only familiar with existing regulatory controls, but
also that they better understand which resources are particularly
susceptible to adverse research-related impacts. In addition,
the master listing could: (1) produce a record of scientific
investigations which might provide important management information,
(2) contribute to efforts to monitor use patterns within the
Sanctuary, (3) assist in identifying areas of research not receiving
adequate attention, and (4) ensure that Sanctuary managers are
aware of relevant area- specific studies and literature. Finally,
this notification process would provide both sanctuary managers
and researches with a record of individuals and groups who have
first-hand experience with the area's resources. This would
be a valuable tool in coordinating research efforts and encouraging
multi-disciplinary analyses.
In turn, researchers could benefit from the resources of the
Information Center and, unless the research would require a
permit, notification would not impose any delay. The compilation
of technical documents in the Sanctuary Information Center would
provide a baseline of site-specific information which would
help long-term environmental analysis and encourage further
research within Sanctuary boundaries. The Sanctuary manager
would directly encourage research by sponsoring a monitoring
program, providing partial funding for research, and encouraging
researchers and funding organizations to conduct or support
studies in the Sanctuary. The monitoring effort would focus
on the overall health of the natural resources of the area as
well as the level and effects of human activities occurring
nearby. The information gained from such monitoring efforts
and other research projects should enable NOAA to manage and
regulate the Sanctuary more effectively, and to assist other
applicable authorities in carrying out their responsibilities.
Another research objective of the Sanctuary managers would
be to map and complete a detailed inventory of historical resources.
Many of the known wrecks in the area need to be documented and
researched. Limited archaeological research has been conducted
in the area and active research into possible historical artifacts
in the Bay has been initiated (U.S. Bureau of Land Management,
1979c; California State Lands Commission.)
Section
IV
Part
IV Table of Contents
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