This special edition of South Coast News is intended to answer many of your important questions regarding the MLPA Initiative’s marine protected area (MPA) planning process. This newsletter explores (1) differences between the brainstorming steps of inventing draft MPA ideas and preliminary draft arrays during work sessions of the MLPA South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (SCRSG), (2) completing and presentating three different rounds of MPA concepts over the next seven months, and (3) key opportunities for the public to weigh in on MPA ideas.

As we explore the details of the MPA planning process, it is important to recognize one of the pillars of our process – a set of commitments (which are termed “groundrules”) that all  SCRSG members unanimously made to the process and to each other. I want to commend the members of the SCRSG for their support of the MLPA Initiative process and for their continued resolution to maintain personal respect, avoid prejudging outcomes and refrain from questioning individual motives. The SCRSG members' dedication to creating a productive and safe space by containing the initial ideas and discussion themes to within the work groups and the MLPA Initiative process have helped uphold the collaborative nature of this stakeholder-driven process. Review the SCRSG groundrules.

I hope this special edition of South Coast News is informative and helpful as you navigate the MPA planning process. If you have any further questions on this topic, please don’t hesitate to ask.

~Ken Wiseman, Executive Director

Key Questions About the MPA Planning Process

What is the process for developing marine protected area (MPA) proposals within the south coast study region?

What stage is the SCRSG in the MPA development process for the south coast study region?

Can the public submit MPA proposals?

What is the timeline for developing MPA proposals in the south coast study region?

When is the public encouraged to provide input on MPA proposals?

Definition of "array" and other key terms

What is the difference between a MLPA South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (SCRSG) general meeting and a SCRSG work session?

SCRSG members participate in two different forums:

General meetings. Meetings include all members of the SCRSG and contain updates on the MLPA Initiative process, scientific and informational presentations and SCRSG discussions and decisions. Meetings are also when SCRSG members present their suggested MPA arrays and proposals. Meetings are webcast and videotaped, and include opportunities for public comment.

Work sessions. Work sessions include subsets, or “work groups,” of the full SCRSG membership and are an opportunity to apply information shared during meetings. Often work sessions are focused on developing MPA concepts and arrays, but may also cover special topics (such as birds and mammals or goals and objectives). All discussions in work groups are preliminary and developed under the guidance of the agreed upon ground rules that commit to keeping initial ideas within the work groups until they can be refined.

Once ideas are discussed within work groups and suggestions or recommendations are ready to be shared, the work groups make a presentation to the full SCRSG in a meeting. Work sessions are not webcast or videotaped in an effort to promote open dialogue and creative thinking. While members of the public are welcome to observe these initial discussions, there is no public comment period.

The first opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the SCRSG’s discussions on MPA concepts is the March 3-4 meeting in Long Beach and at subsequent meetings and workshops each month from April through September.

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What is the process for developing marine protected area (MPA) proposals within the south coast study region?

The MLPA South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (SCRSG) makes MPA design recommendations during three “rounds” of MPA proposal development and feedback.  During each round of planning, draft MPAs proposed by the SCRSG, which are then evaluated by the MLPA Master Plan Science Advisory Team (SAT). In addition, feedback is provided by the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF), California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) and MLPA Initiative staff. The public also has an opportunity to provide input during each round.

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Where is the SCRSG in the MPA development process for the south coast study region?

On January 29 and February 10, 2009, the SCRSG work groups began Round 1 by generating ideas and options for MPAs in the south coast. The work groups will complete their first “draft MPA arrays” (which are not fully formed proposals) at the SCRSG’s March 3-4 meeting in Long Beach. At the end of the March meeting, these completed draft MPA arrays are submitted for their first round of evaluations; the results of these evaluations will be presented to the SCRSG at its next full meeting on April 28, 2009, and the SCRSG will begin revising MPA arrays for Round 2. 

We expect that Round 2 “draft MPA proposals” will be completed at the May 21 SCRSG meeting and evaluations of those draft proposals will be submitted back to the SCRSG in August. This will start Round 3, which involves the SCRSG developing “final SCRSG MPA proposals.” Round 3 will conclude with a joint meeting of the SCRSG and MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) in October 2009, where the final SCRSG MPA proposals are presented and the BRTF develops its recommendations to advance to the California Fish and Game Commission during a joint meeting in December 2009.

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Can the public submit MPA proposals?

Full external MPA proposals (for the entire study region) are solicited from members of the public during Round 1 and evaluated alongside those MPA proposals created by the SCRSG. The deadline for submitting full external proposals was February 17, 2009; these external proposals will be first presented to the SCRSG at its March 3-4 meeting in Long Beach. Proposals for individual MPAs may be submitted at any time to MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov.

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What is the timeline for developing MPA proposals in the south coast study region?

(NOTE:  all dates or tentative and subject to change)

Round 1 (draft MPA arrays): January – March 2009

Round 2 (draft MPA proposals): March – May 2009

Round 3 (final SCRSG MPA proposals): June – September 2009

Develop BRTF recommendation(s) : October 2009

Presentation of BRTF recommendation(s) to the California Fish and Game Commission: December 2009



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When is the public encouraged to provide input on MPA proposals?

MPA design options developed by the SCRSG over the next seven months will be viewable by the public at the end of each of the three rounds once the MPA design has been completed. The public is encouraged to comment on MPA draft arrays (Round 1), draft proposals (Round 2) and final SCRSG draft proposals (Round 3) at any time by email at MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov and in person at the following meetings and public workshops:

Round 1
March 3-4 - South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group
Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center
701 West Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90831

April 15 & 16 - Blue Ribbon Task Force
Dana Point/San Clemente area

Round 2
April 28 - South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group
Oxnard area

May 21, South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group
Huntington Beach

Public Workshops – Review of Round 2 draft proposals
June 29, 30  & July 1, 7, 8, 9
Locations TBD throughout south coast study region

July 28-29 - Blue Ribbon Task Force
Santa Monica area

Round 3
August 4 - South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group
Oceanside/Carlsbad area

September 10 - South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group
Santa Monica/Los Angeles area

View a complete detail of all upcoming MLPA Initiative meetings.

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Definition of "array."

In the MLPA Initiative process, “array” is used in two different ways:

1. In the MPA planning process, the first effort to draft MPA concepts for the entire study region (referred to as Round 1) are deemed “MPA draft arrays” – suggesting that these initial ideas are not full proposals.  Whereas in Round 2, these refined arrays become “draft proposals,” showing the progress the SCRSG has made in the MPA development process.
   
   
2. Within the statewide network of MPAs, an array also refers to the subset of MPAs within any given study region (e.g. The south coast study region array or group of MPAs that connects to the larger MPA network, sometimes also referred to as a regional component of the statewide network).
   

View additional commonly used definitions and acronyms.

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