MARCH 2009
REVISED SANCTUARY REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE

Revised regulations for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary became effective on March 19, 2009. The regulatory changes are an important component of the management plan revision process (see below for details on the final management plan released in January of 2009). With the revised regulations now in effect, the management plan revision process has been completed.
Changes to sanctuary regulations clarify and strengthen protections for marine habitats, sensitive species, water quality and submerged cultural and historical resources.
Highlights of the regulatory changes include:

• protecting natural ecosystems from the introduction of non-native species
• protecting the area’s water quality by prohibiting harmful vessel discharges
• prohibiting discharges beyond the boundary of the sanctuary that enter and damage the sanctuary’s resources
• improving habitat protection by limiting or prohibiting activities that impact the sea floor

To review the sanctuary regulations:

• The revised regulations are reprinted on the Regulations and Restrictions page
• Full text of the revised regulations is also contained in the January 16, 2009 Final Rule, available from the Reports and Documents page (see last three pages of the Final Rule for the regulations)
• A summary of regulation changes is contained on Page 7 of the brochure “Final Management Plan: A Summary Guide”, available from the Reports and Documents page

JANUARY 2009
FINAL MANAGEMENT PLAN, FINAL RULE (REGULATIONS), & FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (FEIS) NOW AVAILABLE

The Sanctuary’s new Final Management Plan (FMP) identifies priority management issues and actions proposed to address them. The plan includes proposed actions to expand research, education, outreach, and enforcement programs, create and enhance partnerships, improve wildlife protections, develop a water quality program, and reduce pollution impacts from vessels. The Final Management Plan also contains information about the Sanctuary's environment, staffing and administration, regulations and boundary, operational and programmatic costs, and performance measures. The new plan represents a major revision of the sanctuary's original 1983 management plan.

The FMP is accompanied by a FEIS (released November 25, 2008), which analyzes a range of alternatives for modified and new Sanctuary regulations, provides environmental and socioeconomic impact analyses of those regulatory alternatives, and provides responses to public comments previously submitted on the Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. These two documents are bundled together in two volumes: the FMP is Volume I, and the FEIS is Volume II. Of the alternatives analyzed in the FEIS, NOAA has decided to implement the proposed action alternative.

The Final Rule presents the resulting new Sanctuary regulations (which took effect on March 19, 2009 after 45 days of continuous session of Congress), and also includes the responses to public comments.

The public comment period for the Sanctuary’s 2006 Draft Management Plan / Draft Environmental Impact Statement closed on July 21, 2006. The public comment period for the 2008 Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement closed on May 30, 2008.

To read more about and to download these documents, please refer to our “Reports & Documents" page.

Final Management Plan: A Summary Guide
Download our brochure pdf (400KB) for more information, including summaries of the FMP Action Plans, and a summary of the new regulations.

For more information, refer to the menu links on this page (at left), email the Management Plan Coordinator regarding questions
or call 805-884-1464.