2003
MRC Work Plan
Approved
by the Board of County Commissioners on January 14, 2003
Transborder
Marine Protected Area Program - Benchmark
- Recommend
establishment of a comprehensive MPA designation in SJC.
- Conduct
public consultation program to identify specific marine stewardship
proposals.
- Consider
the feasibility of a zonal approach to stewardship and protection
of marine resources, and develop findings and recommendations
as appropriate.
Nearshore
Habitat Protection - Benchmarks 2, 3 & 8
- With
business partners in grant-funded effort, complete forage fish
spawning beach sampling and documentation and identify conservation
and/or restoration priorities; subject to funding, conduct at
least three pilot restoration projects in cooperation with property
owners.
- With
business partners in grant-funded effort, complete GIS mapping
of eelgrass location and extent.
- Provide
GIS data on forage fish habitat to local, tribal, state and
federal agencies and non-governmental organizations.
- Consult
with San Juan Preservation Trust and San Juan County Land Bank
to develop conservation priorities for fee and easement acquisition
of privately-owned nearshore habitat areas.
- Support
community efforts to restore estuary functions and habitat in
Deer Harbor by facilitating proposals for grant funding.
Bottom
Fish Recovery Program - Benchmark 3
- Seek
funding to continue monitoring and outreach on the water.
- Subject
to funding, conduct focused evaluation of fishing pressure in
selected recovery zones during ling cod and salmon fishing openings,
with assistance from trained volunteers.
- Complete
previously funded acoustic and larval dispersal analyses for
evaluation of recovery zone size.
- Subject
to funding, undertake an independent examination of bottom fish
management approaches to stock recovery with participation by
fisheries biologists; based on the outcomes, revisit the sizes,
number and locations of bottom fish recovery zones as well as
management approaches for them.
Student
Participation - Benchmarks 7 & 8
- Continue
to foster opportunities for coordination with UW student/faculty
teams on marine research related to MRC programs.
Fin-fish
Aquaculture
- Formulate
findings and recommendations for action by the county on future
development of fish farming operations in county waters.
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