Management Plan Revision
Introduction
The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is currently engaged in a 5-year management plan review process. This process will begin with a series of public scoping meetings to enlist comments on issues to be addressed by the draft environmental impact statement. The Sanctuary would like to encourage all interest groups, agencies and stakeholders to participate in this initial phase of the management plan review process.
The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMS) mission is to conserve and enhance biodiversity, ecological integrity and cultural legacy of areas of special national significance through comprehensive long term management and outreach. To adequately perform this mandate, Sanctuary management must regularly review and update the management plan, which is the administrative framework for Sanctuary operations. In addition, Sanctuary regulations will be reviewed and revised to better manage the resources. These revisions are necessary to stay current with the latest scientific discoveries, marine management policies and resource protection issues. This process is also intended to determine where and how the current plan has succeeded or failed in fulfilling the NMS mandate. In addition, the review will identify performance standards to evaluate the effectiveness of the NMS.
The Sanctuary management plan was originally issued in 1982, two years after the 1980 designation of the Sanctuary. Over the past 17 years many important marine issues have received greater public recognition and concern. The Sanctuary would be remiss in its responsibility to the public and the resources if it didn"t update its management regime and regulations.
The revision process, that began with the establishment of the Sanctuary Advisory Committee, is anticipated to take roughly two years before a new management plan and corresponding regulations are on the books. It is expected that the public will make use of this opportunity to participate in all phases of the process of creating a better managed Sanctuary for now and future generations.
What is the National Marine Sanctuary Program?
In 1972, with the passage of the landmark National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act, the nation's ocean and coastal protection program was established under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mission of the National Marine Sanctuary Program is to manage areas of special national significance to protect their ecological and cultural integrity for the benefit of current and future generations. The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) includes 12 sanctuaries that range in size from the one-square mile sanctuary protecting the historic wreck of the USS Monitor to the 5,000 square mile sanctuary encompassing the Central California coastline and offshore waters of Monterey.
In 1980, a 1,252 square nautical mile area of the Santa Barbara Channel was designated as the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS), due to its exceptional natural resources and beauty. This seawater realm encompasses an area from the mean high-tide line out to six nautical miles around the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara.
What are management plans and why are they being revised?
Management plans are the site-specific documents that the NMSP uses as blueprints to manage individual sanctuaries. These plans set priorities, contain regulations, present existing programs and projects, and guide the development of future activities. The CINMS has been operating under a management plan that was completed in 1983. The 1983 Management Plan does not contain performance indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of the sanctuary and the NMSP, nor does the plan incorporate state-of-the-art concepts and practices associated with the management of marine protected areas. Consequently, as the CINMS has matured and become a vital part of our communities and region, the management plan may no longer reflect evolving resource protection issues.
What is the process for revising the management plan?
The management plan revision process will be tailored to the needs and resources that are specific to the CINMS. CINMS staff will work closely together with staff from the national program office and with the public throughout the process.
The management plan revision will be conducted through an interactive, public process that will take about 18-24 months. The CINMS will host a series of public scoping sessions, workshops and formal public hearings. Following an internal review of the 1983 Management Plan and related documents, we will involve and interact with the general public and user groups, which include, but are not limited to, commercial and recreational fishers and divers, marine educators and researchers, conservation groups and other government agencies. We are concurrently creating a Sanctuary Advisory Council which will assist the Sanctuary Manager in managing the Sanctuary, including the management plan revision.
The revised draft management plan is likely to contain a series of action plans to address both specific issues and general management needs. We will make the draft management plan available for public review, accept written comments and host public hearings for people to provide oral comments. After the close of the public comment period, we will consider the comments and make any necessary changes before issuing the final management plan.
What kind of changes can I expect?
The management plan revision is a process that will evolve and be shaped by both internal review and the public's involvement. Depending on the critical resource management issues of today and what is expected for the future, new regulations may be created and the deletion to existing regulations are possible. Whatever the revision, there will be numerous opportunities for the public to let us know what they think.
How can I be involved?
We encourage you to get involved in the management plan revision process as an informed member of our sanctuary's community. Let us know your concerns at the public meetings so we know what issues need to be addressed. You can also review the draft management plan and provide us with your thoughts and comments. We will provide ample notice of each public meeting through various media outlets, including notices in local papers, our web page and the federal register. The draft and final management plans and other related documents will also be accessible for review on the Internet. Your comments are welcome and will be posted online.
Where can I get more information?
Please encourage your constituent groups to take part in this public process. You may direct all comments and inquiries for information to:
Revised
by The CINMS webmaster
National
Ocean Service
| National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration | U.S. Department of Commerce
http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov
channelislands.noaa.gov
/marineres/manplan.html