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The Friends of the
Edward F. Ricketts Marine Reserve E-Letter and Action Alert |
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PROGRESS SO FAR As you know, the Ricketts Reserve idea got started in 1993 when the public began to be aware of the declining state of marine life off Cannery Row. Many divers related their first-hand observations, sparking broad support for a no-take area stretching from the Breakwater in Monterey to Lovers' Point in Pacific Grove. Efforts to get the two cities to designate a Marine Park climaxed in 1996 with a huge combined hearing with both cities' councils. Many of you were there! The City of Monterey did designate the park, but restricted only spearfishing, defeating the "no-take" concept. Pacific Grove took no action. Subsequently, kelp cutting became a major impact within the designated "Ricketts Park." Last April about 90 of you stood, talked, cheered, and sang through a formal Fish & Game Commission hearing on a Kelp Management Plan. Your presence there pushed the Commission to modify its plan to enlarge the no kelp-cutting area adjacent to the Breakwater. While the victory was small in terms of geography, it was big in its political import. The Friends of the Edward F. Ricketts Marine Reserve announced its presence as a force for marine conservation, and impressed the Commission so much that one commissioner said "Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll get your reserve." Since last spring, we've focused our efforts on implementation of the State Marine Life Protection Act. This is one of the best pieces of legislation for the marine environment we've seen! The law calls for the creation of special areas with varying levels of protection. We need to make sure that the entire Ricketts area receives full Reserve (no-take) status. One DFG official recently expressed sympathy for continued kelp cutting there, so the fight is far from over. The original schedule for MLPA was set back by a year. The final decisions on this are now scheduled for Fish & Game Commission hearings in early 2003. But the options will be narrowed down by DFG staff during 2002. There will be private meetings--in which we've already begun participating--as well as public meetings that you can attend. For DFG's public information on MLPA, see their website. For more information on The Friends of the Edward F. Ricketts Marine Reserve and a history of the Ricketts movement, see our home page. |
This page updated 11/18/01