Agenda for the August MBNMS meeting is not yet posted. Please visit the website for more information: https://montereybay.noaa.gov/sac/sacma.html
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council was established by Federal law to assure continued public participation in the management of the Sanctuary. Since its establishment in March 1994, the Advisory Council has played a vital role in the decisions affecting the Sanctuary along the central California Coast. The Advisory Council's twenty voting members represent the following user groups: Agriculture, At-Large, Business/Industry, Commercial Fishing, Conservation, Diving, Education, Recreation, Recreational Fishing, Research and Tourism, plus seven local and state governmental jurisdictions. In addition, the respective managers for the four California National Marine Sanctuaries (Channel Islands, Cordell Bank, Greater Farallones, and Monterey Bay), the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and the U.S. Coast Guard sit as non-voting members. Members are appointed competitively by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and serve three-year terms. The Advisory Council meets bi-monthly in open sessions located throughout the almost 300-mile boundary of the Sanctuary.
The following list includes some of the major issues the Advisory Council has addressed:
Joint Management Plan Review
Oil & Gas Exploration
Cruise Ship Discharges
NOAA Coordination on Fishing Issues
Fiber Optic Cables
Kelp Harvesting & Management
Southern Sea Otter Translocation Program
Vessel Traffic Safety
Coast Highway 1 Management Plan
Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP)
Assessment of the National Marine Sanctuary Program
Collection of Jade at Jade Cove
Prohibition of Chumming for Great White Sharks
Moving ATOC (Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate) Project Outside Sanctuary Boundaries
Decommission of Select National Weather Buoys
National and the World Ocean's Conference
Advisory Council Charter and Protocols
State Mussel Watch Program