Stakeholders agree on first ever unified stakeholder proposal through Marine Life Protection Act8/31/10 Fortuna, CA—In a clear illustration of how the North Coast community differs from the rest of the state, area stakeholders have developed to a single unified proposal for a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) developed under the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) for a region that stretches from Point Arena to the border with Oregon. After an initial set of eight MPA proposals was whittled down to four over the past several months, the 33-member Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG) – which includes harbormasters, divers, sport and commercial fishermen, seaweed harvesters, tribal and business leaders, and conservation representatives – found enough common ground to develop one final proposal.
 "Everyone talked about a unified community proposal at the beginning of the MLPA process, but I wasn't expecting to pull it off. Sure enough though, everyone came together and we did it. It's a great accomplishment,” said Adam Wagschal, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreational and Conservation District Conservation Director.
"This unified proposal is a great step forward,” Humboldt Baykeeper Executive Director Pete Nichols said. “These MPAs were created in collaboration with many fishermen and, in my mind, work well for both the fishing community and conservation." “Everyone made a huge effort to come together on a single proposal and the North Coast is better for it,” agreed Zack Larson, Del Norte MLPA Outreach Coordinator. CLICK HERE to enlarge the map |
