Channel Islands MPAs

The Office of Administrative Law approved the Channel Islands MPA regulatory action and filed it with the Secretary of State on March 10, 2003. The regulations took effect on April 9, 2003.

In 1998 the Channel Islands Marine Resources Restoration Committee, a group of concerned citizens, requested the Fish and Game Commission (Commission) to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas around the northern Channel Islands. This request preceded the Marine Life Protection Act by nearly one year. As a result of the request, the Commission directed the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (Sanctuary) to jointly support a process to discuss MPAs in the Channel Islands area. After more than 2 years of meetings involving a broad based constituent group, CDFW and Sanctuary drafted a recommendation for Channel Islands MPAs. This recommendation became part of a range of alternatives. For more information on the constituent based process visit the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary website at:

http://channelislands.nos.noaa.gov.

 

• Report on the First 5 Years of Monitoring: 2003-2008
• Channel Islands Monitoring
• General MPA Regulations
• Individual MPA Maps and Descriptions
• Federal Channel Islands MPA Process
  The final phase of the joint state/federal process to establish a network of MPAs at the Channel Islands was completed in 2006-2007. The link above provides an overview of these MPAs, which complement the existing state network in the federal waters of the National Marine Sanctuary.
• News Release
  Governor Davis Announces Creation of Largest Marine Reserve on West Coast (10/23/02)
• Marine Protected Areas in NOAA's Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
  Final Environmental Document
• Regulatory Process Documents