Items continued from 2003 Work Plan
Marine Stewardship Area -- Benchmark 2
Begin MSA Phase 2 (two year project) as outlined in attached Plan for a San Juan County Marine Stewardship Area.
(Pursuant
to our adopted and approved work plan the San Juan County MRC has
proposed the designation of a County wide Marine Stewardship Area (MSA)
to the Board of County Commissioners ( BOCC ). The proposal to the BOCC
consists of two phases: Designation of the entire county as a Marine
Stewardship Area, and designation of specific areas of protection
within the larger stewardship area. Phase 2 is the portion of the
project where specific areas may be proposed for designation. Specific
tasks will consist of community based data collection; extensive
iterative outreach; spatial analysis (GIS); and draft management policy
creation.)
- Begin Study of ‘Human Use” of the waters of the County
Nearshore Habitat Protection -- Benchmarks 2, 3 & 8
- In
partnership with Friends of the San Juans in a grant-funded effort,
complete forage fish spawning beach sampling and documentation and
identify conservation and/or restoration priorities; subject to
funding:
- Forage Fish Final report to be delivered 4/15/04. Results to be used in MSA Phase 2.
- Forage Fish Data workshop with county and state staff.
- Marine Riparian Restoration Project Ongoing, all three pilot restoration plantings to be completed by spring 2004.
- Continue Herring Spawning Surveys.
In partnership with Friends of the San Juans in grant-funded effort, complete GIS mapping of eelgrass location and extent:
- Eelgrass Final report to be delivered 3/15/04. Results to be used in MSA Phase 2.
- Support efforts to determine cause of 35 acre loss of eelgrass in Westcott Bay and mitigate further degradation.
Provide GIS data on forage fish habitat to local, tribal, state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations:
- Forage Fish Final report to be delivered 4/15/04. Results to be used in MSA Phase 2.
- Deliver data and comments to the National Park Service for their plan revision process.
- Pending
Forage Fish and Eelgrass final reports, MRC will consult with San Juan
Preservation Trust and San Juan County Land Bank to develop
conservation priorities for fee simple and easement acquisition of
privately-owned nearshore habitat areas.
- Address critical eelgrass habitat loss identified in the countywide eelgrass survey;
- Hold
a work session to consider the designation of the Westcott Bay
–Garrison Bay area as a Marine Habitat Management Area under the
Shoreline Master Program.
- Support research to determine the processes causing eelgrass loss with the goal of designing a way to reverse those processes.
Bottom Fish Recovery Program -- Benchmark 3
(Will be merged with MSA process)
Continue
to seek funding for on the water outreach and monitoring using results
of fishing pressure assessment to achieve the most impact .
- Survey conducted during Ling Cod season only. Results to be used in MSA Phase 2.
- Seek funding to study impact from salmon fisherman on bottomfish (Bycatch study ). Results to be used in MSA Phase 2.
- Bottom
Fish Management Symposium recommendations to be presented to state and
tribal fisheries managers and used in MSA Phase 2.
Student Participation -- Benchmarks 7 & 8
SJC MRC anticipates participation by the UW School of Marine Affairs in the MSA Phase 2 project.
New 2004 Work Items
Balloons
Common
balloons have been shown to have unexpected detrimental impacts to the
marine environment. Identify the impacts of and propose measures to
mitigate the mass release of balloons.
Water Quality
Marine
water quality is not only of critical importance to marine ecosystem
health, but is also important to human health. Support efforts to
identify water quality overlay districts and implement baseline water
quality monitoring.
