by Brian Baird
Resources Agency of California, Oceans Program

From the broad sandy beaches of Southern California to the outcroppings of Big Sur and on up to the misty reaches of the rugged north coast, California is blessed with a spectacular and varied coastline. It is also a natural resource at risk.

California’s ocean ecosystem health is highly dependent upon the biological inter-relationships between enclosed coastal waters (bays, estuaries, and lagoons), near-shore ocean waters, and the deeper ocean. The health of our coastline also depends upon the quality of the water flowing in from all the inland watersheds. Recognizing and responding to these relationships between land and sea remains critical to maintaining and enhancing the natural and economic resources of our oceans.

The Council’s fall meeting in Santa Barbara (November 8 and 9, 2000) will focus on the broad range of challenges faced by Californians in protecting and managing our ocean and coastal resources.

Recent developments concerning our coastal resources and their protection are encouraging. The USEPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just approved California’s Non-Point Source Pollution Control Plan which represents a bold new approach to reduce the flow of pollutants into the ocean. The first gathering at the November meeting will be a forum, organized by local interests in the Southern California coastal counties, discussing activities to reduce polluted runoff in California. Previous local forums held by the Biodiversity Council have generated significant interest and proved to be highly valuable. This event is bound to be no different.

Upon returning from an afternoon of field trips to Coal Oil Point and Carpenteria Salt Marsh, respectively south and north of Santa Barbara, the Council will assemble for an extraordinary dinner highlighted by a presentation from Congressman Sam Farr.

Early Thursday morning, the Council will reconvene with an introduction to coastal issues from Representative Lois Capps and local legislators. The Ocean Resources Management Program will provide a summary of the key issues for the day's discussion followed by a speaker who will describe the bioregions that exist off the coast and the ecological complexity of the land-sea interface. The morning session, "Managing Coastal Issues in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas," will highlight a range of shoreline issues. A panel of representatives from organizations such as the California Coastal Conservancy, State Lands Commission, State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Boating and Waterways, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with local government representatives and organizations, will lead discussions on topics covering coastal access management, shoreline erosion, and wetlands restoration.

After lunch, the Council will tackle off-shore issues in a session titled "New Tools For Managing Marine Areas." This will highlight the implementation of key ocean legislation, such as the Marine Life Management Act and the Marine Life Protection Act. Efforts by the administration to completely overhaul California’s confusing array of Marine Managed Areas (reserves, preserves, refuges) to provide enhanced protection of marine resources will be discussed. A pilot program to address the potential establishment of new marine reserves around the Santa Barbara Channel Islands will be described by state and federal officials. The afternoon will also address the management program for the California Coastal National Monument (protects all U.S.-owned islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles off the coast), which has recently been designated by President Clinton, pursuant to the Antiquities Act.

All of the sessions at this fall meeting will focus on the need to link science and management in order to provide the most effective protection of California’s ocean and coastal resources.

Please watch the website for updates (http://ceres.ca.gov/biodiversity) and direct questions to Erin Klaesius, Communications Coordinator at (916) 227-2661 or erin_klaesius@fire.ca.gov.

Be advised that topics and speakers are subject to change.