NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Extends Deadline for Applications for Advisory Council
January 28, 2008
Santa Cruz, the largest of the northern Channel Islands.
+ High Resolution (Credit: NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary)
NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has extended the deadline to Feb. 10 for applications for the tourism alternate and Chumash Community member and alternate positions on its advisory council. Meeting bi-monthly in public sessions in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, the council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent.
Council members will be selected based on their 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 length of residence in the sanctuary area.
Sanctuary advisory council member application packages are available on the sanctuary’s Web site at http://channelislands.noaa.gov/sac/news.html, or by calling 805-966-7107, ext. 422. Completed applications must be submitted by Feb. 10, 2008, to Dani Lipski or by fax at 805-568-1582. Applications also may be submitted by mail to Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, although electronic submission is encouraged.
Serving in a volunteer capacity for two-year terms, the advisory council’s 21 voting members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public, plus 10 local, state, and federal government jurisdictions.
Moray eel (Gymnothorax mordax).
+ High Resolution (Credit: NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary)
Since its creation in 1998, the advisory council has played a vital role in advising the sanctuary and NOAA on critical issues. It is currently focused on the completion of a new management plan, establishment of marine protected areas within the sanctuary, biological effects of ocean noise, offshore aquaculture and development of a 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 more than 1,456 square 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.
Giant-spined star (Pisaster giganteus).
+ High Resolution (Credit: NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, 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 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts, and protects.