MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
ADVISORY COUNCIL

Conservation Working Group
Meeting Minutes
October 21, 1997

Conservation Working Group (CWG) members in attendance were:  Rachel 
Saunders, Chair (Center for Marine Conservation); Jack Wickham (Sierra 
Club-Ventana Chapter); David Iverson (Save Our Shores); Vicki Nichols 
(Save Our Shores); Ellen Farout-Daniels (Friends of the Sea Otter); Daphne 
White (Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History); Donna Meyers (Coastal 
Watershed Council); and Joanne Flanders and Aaron King (Monterey Bay 
National Marine Sanctuary).

Guests in attendance were:  Patrick Cotter (MBNMS).

I.	CWG Administration

A.	The September 16, 1997 meeting minutes were approved as presented.  
Jack Wickham commented on the written ManagerÕs report, suggesting 
that the last paragraph on page one be changed from ÒSRD is working 
closely withÓ to ÒSRD is meeting withÓ.  Jack also suggested that a 
section on noise be added to the report.

B.	General Announcements:

· The next CWG meeting is scheduled for November 18, 1997 from 10:00 
a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Moss Landing Harbor District Office;
· Assemblyman Keeley will be holding an Interim Hearing of the Budget 
Subcommittee on Resources in Santa Cruz on October 29, 1997; Vicki and 
Ellen Farout-Daniels will be commenting at this hearing on the adequacies 
of budgets and initiatives; Daphne White suggested that the League of 
Women Voters may make an official statement during the allotted public 
presentation time;
· Assemblyman Machado will also be holding a Fisheries Subcommittee 
Hearing in Monterey on October 29, 1997.  Rachel Saunders will be 
attending.  Burr Heneman (under contract with CMC) will be speaking on 
behalf of the Center for Marine Conservation;
· Other important dates were noted:

Oct. 30 - VTS Workshop in Alameda
Oct. 30 - LFS Meeting at NPS
Nov. 1 - ATOC/MMRP Workshop at UCSC

· Daphne White agreed speak on the ÒYear of the OceanÓ activities at the 
next meeting.  She will coordinate with Liz Love.

II.	MBNMS Office Report

Joanne Flanders gave the MBNMS office report.  See Attachment A.  The 
following items were not included in the written report:

· CWG participants expressed appreciation for Scott KatheyÕs Letter to the 
Editor on John DenverÕs plane crash.
· Discussion ensued surrounding the separation of SRD into two divisions 
under OCRM; Reserves and Sanctuaries.  Concern was raised that there 
would be no more site Liaisons.  Joanne stated that there would be 
ÒManagement by FunctionÓ instead of by geographic location.  Concern 
was raised by the CWG that SRD resolve organizational issues soon so that 
they can get on with the business of managing resources.  They also 
expressed concern that the local Sanctuary office get proper support from 
headquarters.
· Patrick Cotter gave a brief presentation on Moss Landing Harbor dredging.  
Rachel and Ellen had many questions on the techniques used to sample 
the sediments, i.e., how do they avoid contamination of the samples 
between levels in the sediments.  Vicki Nichols asked where specific 
dredged material disposal sites were.  Patrick showed on a aerial 
photograph of Moss Landing where the designated disposal sites are in the 
ML area, and how the areaÕs natural actions, such as currents, would deal 
with the dredge material dumped there.
· Some questions were raised on how much influence SRD would have on 
the upcoming SAC selections.  Joanne stated that she would be forwarding 
the SACÕs recommendations with her comments to headquarters for final 
approval.
· There was also some discussion on LFS and the different phases of the 
project.  Vicki Nichols requested Andrew DeVogelaere provide CWG 
members with notes from the LFS meeting he will be attending on 
October 30, since many CWG members will be attending a Vessel Traffic 
meeting the same day.
· Jack Wickham suggested that the Bibliography on Man-Made Noise 
produced by the MBNMS was redundant due to bibliographies in existing 
publications.  Suggested that the next step should be in filling in some of 
the gaps in information.  Rachel suggested that Jack write a letter to the 
SAC Chair, since they will be discussing it at their next SAC meeting.  Jack 
suggested that the timeframe for us to get to this point has been too long.
· Vicki N. expressed concern that the WQPP CitizenÕs Guide wasn't 
reviewed by "citizens" prior to being sent to the printer.  The Chair 
requested that WQPP staff give a presentation on the guide at a future 
CWG meeting.
· At the request of the SAC chair, Joanne contacted the OCNMS Manager to 
gather background information on the Makah Tribe's request to harvest 
gray whales.  The OCNMS SAC has several Indian tribes represented, 
including the Makah.  The Makah Tribe briefed the OCNMS SAC on their 
proposed harvesting request, which is based on treaty whaling rights that 
date back to the 1800s.  The SAC is not questioning the tribe's treaty rights. 
The Makah will present their request at the upcoming IWC meeting in 
Monaco.  Within NOAA, the issue is being handled by Dr. Baker's office.

III.	North Coast Aquaculture/Abalone Farms - Patrick Cotter and David
	Iverson

Dave Iverson opened a discussion on the planned abalone farm expansion 
project in Pillar Point Harbor.  Fishermen have been coming to him with 
concerns on this.  Patrick Cotter stated that the monitoring required by the 
RWQCB's NPDES permits for the abalone farm applicants has not yet been 
completed.  Concerns include the dissolved oxygen content in the water, the 
disposition of waste products, impacts on benthic invertebrates, fish and birds, 
and contamination of farm and wild abalone by a parasitic sabellid worm 
found on California abalone brought from abalone from Southern Africa.  
See Attachment B (prepared by local opponents of the project).

Questions rose on who the potential aquaculturalists were.  Patrick said there 
were at least five potential applicants for licenses to put in abalone operations 
in Pillar Point Harbor (US Abalone, Princeton Abalone, Blue Pacific, Deeper 
Blue Enterprise, Pearl Abalone Company and Pacific Offshore).  Some had 
submitted applications to the California Coastal Commission, some had not.

Discussion ensued on kelp harvesting in leased beds and unleased beds.  
Concerns raised over the amount of kelp necessary to maintain the number 
of abalone projected for this site.

RWQCB and CCC are the lead agencies on permits for the proposed 
aquaculture projects.  Questions need to be asked before further action is 
taken.  A general feeling of the CWG was that a push for a full EIR be 
conducted on this project before it goes any further.  Patrick emphasized that 
the MBNMS was trying to work through the other agencies who have more 
of a lead authority.

Status of permit requests:  No movement at RWQCB.

Ellen F.D. suggested that the agencies strive to have this be a model process 
since the aquaculturalists will probably want to move on to other harbors.

Patrick was asked to keep the CWG informed of the process and progress on 
this issue.

IV.	Citizen Monitoring Programs - Donna Meyers

Donna Meyers gave a presentation on the Coastal Watershed CouncilÕs 
ÒClean Stream Program.Ó  Donna indicated they were doing work on three 
streams in Santa Cruz, three in San Mateo, and one in Monterey County.  
They have trained volunteers who are checking fifty miles of creeks every 
week.  See Attachment C.  Rachel asked how the volunteers were organized.  
Donna described their volunteer demographics.  Donna also reported that 
CWC and CMC have developed a Citizen Monitoring Network Steering 
Committee to organize volunteer programs the region.  This would parallel 
the WQPPÕs efforts to organize the regional agencies.  The idea is to ensure 
that volunteer data is credible and regional water quality monitoring finds a 
home in the regulatory structure.

Rachel stated that the RWQCB had just recently hired someone to oversee 
regional monitoring efforts, and to assist in integrating volunteer monitoring 
efforts. Vicki suggested that Donna make contact with SOSÕs new volunteer 
coordinator in San Mateo.

V.	Issue/Program Updates

· Donna gave an update on the planning for the MBNMS Symposium on 
March 7, 1998, at the Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz.  Speakers are still being 
lined up for the various sessions.  Donna also described a pilot project 
done by the CWC in cooperation with the City of Monterey to test storm 
drain discharge in the city.  The idea is to help the city pinpoint trouble 
areas and better educate businesses to reduce dumping into storm drains.  
The overall topic will be ÒCumulative Impacts on the Sanctuary and its 
Resources.Ó  A Conservation Resource Fair is an idea being floated as 
something where the various Conservation groups could have hands-on 
demonstrations of their activities.  Suggested topics at the research 
symposium in the afternoon: Introduced Species, Marine Reserves, and 
Live Fish Fisheries.  The topics for the morning opening session include 
coastal development, fisheries, vessel traffic, and ecotourism.  There 
would then be the Ricketts Memorial Lecture, and then the party.  
Suggestions requested for speakers at the Symposium.
· At JanuaryÕs Meeting the CWG will nominate someone for the 
Conservation Award.
· Vicki gave an update on the Sea Lion Salmon issue.  She indicated that a 
transcript of the August workshop would be ready in December and that a 
smaller workshop would happen this coming winter.
· Vicki and Rachel gave a brief report on the latest Vessel Traffic Workshop.
· Daphne gave a short presentation on access to the internet at the Pacific 
Grove Museum of Natural History.

The meeting adjourned at 12:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,


Aaron King

ENC.
MBNMS ManagerÕs Report
Letters to Commissioners
The Clean Streams Program

CWG Meeting Minutes - October 21, 1997		FINAL




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