FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 25, 2006

Contact: Michael Murray/CINMS
(805) 966-7107, ext. 464

SANCTUARY ADVISORY COUNCIL APPLICANTS REQUESTED FOR CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program is seeking applicants to fill seven open positions on the Channel Islands Sanctuary Advisory Council. The sanctuary advisory council was established to advise NOAA on management of the sanctuary, including public education, research, monitoring and the protection of natural and maritime heritage resources surrounding the Channel Islands.

The sanctuary will select new members and alternates for the following seats: conservation member, research alternate, business member, business alternate, public-at-large member, non-consumptive recreation member, and non-consumptive recreation alternate. Members and alternates serve as volunteers for two-year terms. The advisory council meets bimonthly in public sessions located throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

"Members of our advisory council are an inspiring group of community leaders. We look forward to welcoming applicants who feel passionately about the management and protection of the ocean waters surrounding the Channel Islands," said Chris Mobley, sanctuary superintendent.

Council members will be selected based upon expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying. Considerations include availability and commitment to active participation, community and professional affiliations, views regarding the conservation and management of marine resources, and the length of residence in the area affected by the sanctuary.

Sanctuary advisory council member application packages are available at the sanctuary Web site, http://www.channelislands.noaa.gov/sac/news.html, or can be obtained by calling (805) 966-7107, ext. 422. Completed applications must be submitted to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93109, or by fax at (805) 568-1582 by October 26, 2006.

The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council was established in December 1998 to assure continued public participation in the management of the sanctuary. Serving in a volunteer capacity, the advisory council's 21 voting members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public, plus ten local, state and federal government jurisdictions.

Since its establishment, the advisory council has played a vital role in advising the sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues and is currently focused on the completion of a new management plan, the consideration of establishing marine protected areas within the sanctuary, biological impacts of ocean noise, understanding offshore aquaculture, and helping to develop and water quality protection program for the sanctuary.

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 1980 to protect marine resources surrounding San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara Islands. The sanctuary spans approximately 1,252 square nautical miles extending from island shorelines to six miles offshore, encompassing a rich diversity of marine life and habitats, as well as rich historic and cultural resources.

NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase the public awareness of America's marine resources and maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs. Today, the sanctuary program manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and one marine national monument that together encompass more than 150,000 square miles of America's ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources.

In 2007 NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. Starting with the establishment of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. The agency is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts, and protects.

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On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov  

National Marine Sanctuary Program: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov 

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: http://channelislands.noaa.gov

Sanctuary Advisory Council: http://channelislands.noaa.gov/sac/main.html