Option ZERO is not to be confused with Proposal Zero

02/23/11

To: The Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture

Re: Comment Period to remain open for one week, stated by Assemblymember Wes Chesbro near the end of the 2-day meeting. Thank you sir, working a day job and then MLPA(i) research, review, etc; here I am at the last minute again – I apologize.

Briefly, Option ZERO on the North Coast testimony needs clarification. Clarification is for all statements made as testimony:

Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, Committee hearing on the Marine Life Protection Act (Thursday Feb. 17, 2011) at the state Capitol. The Marine Life Protection Act is a program to protect California’s marine life and habitats, marine ecosystems and marine natural heritage. The program is divided into five study areas.

The hearing follows by a day, the Committee’s 38th Annual Fisheries Forum, (Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011) at the State Capitol, also in Room 4202. The Feb. 16 forum included an update and public comment on the MLPA statewide. The Feb. 16 forum and the Feb. 17 hearing follow a Jan. 21 hearing the Committee held in Eureka on the MLPA’s North Coast Study Area.

Clarification:
Option ZERO is not to be confused with Proposal Zero.

Option ZERO under CEQA is what most North Coast residents, and especially those involved in the MLPA(i) process are calling for and have stated it exactly so. We are used to dealing with run-away projects of management plans and CEQA analysis of Public Trust Resource policy change, etc.

Option ZERO is out of the CEQA framework and is the 'No Action Alternative'.

Proposal Zero, on the other hand is from within the MLPA(i), and the faulty Master Plan Framework, the individual 'Study Regions' and was never allowed discussion in any group of the MLPA(i) such as the External Array Process, the RSG, the SAT, the BRTF. We were told “it is already on the table” “there's no need to discuss” “the MLPA requires that the existing MPAs be modified” or something to that effect.

Albion Harbor Regional Alliance