Marine Sanctuaries meeting at Elkus Ranch, Thursday Feb 18

Gulf Of The Farallones And Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries are holding a joint advisory council meeting at Elkus Ranch Conference Center, Thursday, February 18, from 9am to 4:30pm.

Meanwhile, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for its advisory council.

The sanctuary is accepting applications for primary and alternate seats representing  Conservation, Education, Community-at-Large (San Francisco/San Mateo), Community-at-Large (Marin/Sonoma), Research, Maritime Activities (Commercial), and Maritime Activities (Recreational).
 
Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve two- to three-year terms.
           
The advisory council consists of 26 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups. It also includes five governmental seats representing the California Environmental Protection Agency, California Resources Agency, National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA Fisheries.
           
Applications are due March 1, 2010. To receive an application kit, or for further information please contact council coordinator Kelley Higgason by e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address); by phone at 415-561-6622, ext.202; or by mail at Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine Dr., The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129. Application kits can also be downloaded from the sanctuary’s web site at http://www.farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac.html.

The agenda’s after the jump.

8:45
Coffee and Sign In
 
9:00
Welcome from John Muller, Half Moon Bay Mayor
 
9:05
Call to Order/Roll Call
-       Introductions/Roll Call
-       Review Agenda
-       Approval of February 12, 2009 Meeting Minutes
Chris Harrold, Chair/MBNMS

9:20
Swearing in of New GFNMS Council Member
Maria Brown/GFNMS
 
9:30
Public Comment
 
9:45
West Coast Ocean Acidification Task Force and Additional Timely Updates
Bill Douros, West Coast Regional Director/ONMS

10:15
San Mateo Coastside Visitor Center and Sanctuary Exploration Center
Carol Preston/GFNMS and Lisa Uttal/MBNMS

11:00
Pillar Point Harbor Dredge and Disposal Project
Peter Grenell, Member/ GFNMS and Irina Kogan/GFNMS

11:15
Water Quality Protection Program
Bridget Hoover/MBNMS

11:45
Enhanced Ecosystem Management Initiative
Paul Michel/MBNMS

12:15
LUNCH
 
1:15
Public Comment
 
1:30
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Update
Dayna Matthews/NOAA OLE

1:55
Maverick’s Surf Contest
Irina Kogan/GFNMS

2:15
Motorized Personal Watercraft Enforcement Discussion (Possible Council Action)
Richard Charter, Chair/GFNMS

3:00
Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Update
Susan Ashcraft, Member/MBNMS

3:15
Sanctuary Contributions to MLPA Implementation Activities
Paul Michel/MBNMS and Maria Brown/GFNMS

3:45
Advisory Council Business
-       Protocol for approving joint meeting minutes
-       2010 Advisory Council Summit update
-       GFNMS Advisory Council recruitment
-       Joint meeting venue discussion
Richard Charter, Chair/GFNMS; Nicole Capps/MBNMS; Kelley Higgason/GFNMS

4:15
Member Announcements
 
4:30
Adjourn
 
 
Designated in 1981, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary encompasses nearly 1,300 square miles of ocean and coastal waters beyond California’s Golden Gate Bridge. The sanctuary supports an abundance of species including the largest breeding seabird rookery in the contiguous United States, and endangered blue and humpback whales.
 
On the Web:
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: http://farallones.noaa.gov
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov