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management | management
plan & regulations
NOAA has released final revised management plans, regulations and a joint final environmental impact statement for Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries.
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary's new management plan offers a vision and course for protecting the rich marine ecosystems of ocean and coastal waters off north-central California while continuing to allow compatible, sustainable human uses.
The result of more than seven years of study, planning and extensive public input, these detailed documents are major revisions of the sanctuaries' original management plans and address key issues including ecosystem protection, wildlife disturbance, vessel traffic, water quality, non-native species and coastal development. The final plan consists primarily of non-regulatory actions, but some changes to sanctuary regulations clarify and strengthen protections for marine habitats, sensitive species, and submerged cultural and historical resources.
The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan (MP) is supported by a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS analyzes the potential impacts from modified and new regulations, as well as impacts from a range of regulatory alternatives. The modified and new regulations are posted in the Federal Register as a Final Rule. Proposed changes to regulations are intended to clarify and strengthen protections for marine habitats, sensitive species, water quality, and submerged cultural and historic resources.
MEDIA: Download the Press Release (PDF, 96Kb) and highlights (PDF, 60Kb).
The following electronic documents are available:
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan
Final Regulations
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Printed review copies of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement are available at libraries throughout the Bay Area.
MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Management Plan is available to download in its entirety, or in sections as shown below. To view or download a copy of the Management Plan, please click on the following links to view the PDF* files:
| CHAPTER |
SIZE |
| 00 - Cover Page, Study Area Map, Table of Contents and Executive Summary |
800Kb |
| 01 - Introduction, Sanctuary Setting, Overview of Joint Management Plan Review (JMPR) Process, Structure of the Action Plans |
960Kb |
02 - Issue-Based Action Plans
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Water Quality
-
Wildlife Disturbance
-
Introduced Species
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Ecosystem Protection: Impacts from Fishing Activities
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Impacts from Vessel Spills |
2.7Mb |
03 - Program Area Action Plans
-
Education and Outreach
-
Conservation Science
-
Resource Protection
-
Administration |
1.6Mb |
04 - Cross-Cutting Action Plans
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Administration and Operations
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Community Outreach
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Ecosystem Monitoring
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Maritime Heritage
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Northern Management Area Transition Plan
|
960Kb |
05 - Appendix I: Ecosystem Protection Implementation Plan
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Estuarine Habitat
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Open Ocean Habitat
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Rocky Shores Habitat
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Sandy Shores Habitat |
900Kb |
06 - Appendix II: Program Area Summary Tables
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Education and Outreach
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Conservation Science
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Resource Protection
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Administration |
550Kb |
07 - Additional Appendices
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Jurisdictional Authorities
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Glossary of Terms
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Acronyms
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National Marine Sanctuaries Act
-
Species List
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Invertebrates and Algae
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Introduced Species |
1Mb |
| COMPLETE Management Plan |
8.9Mb |
*Some browsers have trouble rendering PDF files. Right-Click (Windows/Mac) or Control-Click (Mac) to download and save the file to your desktop.
REGULATIONS
The following activities are prohibited within the Gulf of the Farallones
National Marine Sanctuary, effective March 9, 2009. This is a summary, full text is linked below. 1. Oil and
gas exploration and development.
2. Marine sanitation discharges/deposits from within or into the sanctuary from vessels of 300 gross registered tons (GRT) or more with sufficient sewage holding tank capacity while within the sanctuary. Clarifies and narrows the wastewater discharge exemptions for food wastes and sewage: eliminates exemptions for discharging wastes resulting from meals on board vessels and chumming for non-fishing purposes; clarifies for vessels less than 300 gross registered tons (GRT), clean effluent discharges allowed from marine sanitation devices apply only to Type I and Type II Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) (no raw sewage dumping).
3. Seabed alteration or construction, with the exception of anchoring,
repair of breakwaters and jetties in Tomales Bay, installing navigation
aids, and traditional fishing operations.
4. Oil tankers, barges, and other merchant vessels are prohibited within
two nautical miles of the Farallon Islands, Bolinas Lagoon, and Areas
of Special Biological Significance. Fishing, recreational, and enforcement
vessels are not included.
5. Aircraft within one nautical mile of biologically sensitive areas must
maintain an altitude of at least 1000 feet to avoid disturbing marine
mammals and seabirds. See map of these areas (1.7MB PDF) or obtain more information on overflight restrictions.
6. Damaging or removing historical or cultural resources.
7. Operation of Motorized Personal Watercraft (MPWC). Download MPWC Final Rule (PDF, 74Kb)
8. Introduction or release from within or into the Sanctuary of nonnative species, except (A) striped bass released during catch and release fishing activity; and (B) species cultivated by existing mariculture activities in Tomales Bay pursuant to a valid lease, permit, license or other authorization issued by the State of California in effect on the effective date of the final regulation, provided that the renewal by the State of any authorization does not increase the type of introduced species being cultivated or the size of the area under cultivation with introduced species. See response to CA Governor's letter (PDF, 48Kb).
9. Discharging or depositing, from within or into the Sanctuary, any material or matter from a cruise ship other than clean vessel engine cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash.
(Cruise ship means a vessel of 250 or more passenger berths for hire.)
10.
Attracting white sharks anywhere in the Sanctuary or approaching within 50 meters of any white shark within a line approximately 2 nm around the Farallon Islands.
11.
Discharging or depositing, from beyond the boundary of the Sanctuary, any material or other matter that subsequently enters the Sanctuary and injures a Sanctuary resource or quality.
12. Anchoring a vessel in a designated seagrass protection zone in Tomales Bay, except as necessary for mariculture operations conducted pursuant to a valid lease, permit or license.
13.
Deserting a vessel aground, at anchor, or adrift in the Sanctuary; or leaving harmful matter aboard a grounded or deserted vessel in the Sanctuary.
14. “Taking” or “possessing” any marine mammal, sea turtle or bird in or above the Sanctuary, except as authorized under the MMPA, ESA, and MBTA.
Full text of the modified and new Gulf of the Farallones Final Regulations (PDF, 50Kb) are posted in the Federal Register (Vol. 73, No. 225; Nov. 20, 2008) as the Final Rule (PDF, 330Kb). Changes to regulations are intended to clarify and strengthen protections for marine habitats, sensitive species, water quality, and submerged cultural and historic resources. This listing does not include the
exemptions or other activities regulated within the Sanctuary under other
local, state or federal authorities.
PRINTED DOCUMENTS
The following libraries have review copies of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan and the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the three sanctuaries (Farallones, Cordell Bank and Monterey Bay).
Santa Rosa Public Library
Third & E Streets (211 E St.)
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
San Rafael Public Library
1100 E Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
Marin Co. Library/Civic Ctr
3501 Civic Center Drive # 427
San Rafael, CA 94903
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street (at Grove)
San Francisco, CA 94102-4733
Oakland Public Library
125 14th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Pacifica Library
104 Hilton Way
Pacifica, CA 94044
Half Moon Bay Library
620 Correas
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Bodega Marine Lab Library
2099 Westside Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall Library
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
Stanford University Cecil Green Library
Bing Wing
Stanford Univ.
Stanford, CA 94305
Point Reyes Station/Marin County Free Library
11431 State Route 1
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 Sonoma County Public Library
Petaluma Regional Library
100 Fairgrounds Drive
Petaluma, CA 9495
Sonoma County Public Library
Sebastopol Regional Library
7140 Bodega Ave
Sebastopol, CA 95472
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