Marine Life Protection Act Initiative

• Contractors Sought for South Coast Study Region
  (April 25, 2008)
• MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force Again Sets Milestone and Makes Recommendations for Improving California's System of Marine Protected Areas
  (April 23, 2008)

Why the Initiative?  |  Frequently Asked Questions
Memorandum of Understanding  |  MLPA Summary

The California Resources Agency and California Department of Fish and Game are partnering with the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation and others in an initiative to achieve the goals of the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). The MLPA directs the state to design and manage a network of marine protected areas in order to, among other things, protect marine life and habitats, marine ecosystems, and marine natural heritage, as well as improve recreational, educational and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems. Scientists, resource managers, experts, stakeholders and members of the public all play important roles in guiding the outcomes of this public-private partnership. Marine protected areas include state marine reserves, state marine parks and state marine conservation areas.

The implementation of the act will occur in five study regions, in the following order:

• Central Coast (Pigeon Point to Point Conception)
• North Central Coast (Alder Creek near Point Arena to Pigeon Point)
• South Coast (Point Conception to the California/Mexico border)
• North Coast (California/Oregon border to Alder Creek near Point Arena)
• San Francisco Bay (Waters within San Francisco Bay, from the Golden Gate Bridge northeast to Carquinez Bridge)

The central coast study region process was completed in 2007 with the Fish and Game Commission's adoption of 29 central coast MPAs in April, which was followed with formal MPA implementation in September. The north central coast study region planning process is nearly complete in its development and evaluation of MPA proposals. The Fish and Game Commission will begin to consider the north central coast study region MPA proposals in summer 2008.