Posted by Ken Kurtis on January 22, 2002 at 12:29:09:
In Reply to: DFG scraps MLPA closure plans posted by Chris on January 21, 2002 at 20:48:40:
I was a speaker at the hearing in Sacramento last week (if I ever get some time, I'll post some details) but the MLPA is not only NOT a dead issue, the Committee and the Director of DFG all quite publicly reiterated their commitment to it.
The confusion comes from the publication of "draft" maps of proposed regions. People started viewing these as locked-in-stone whereas the DFG perspective was that they were works-in-progress that would prompt feedback so they could be modified, reshaped, etc.
Unfortunately too many people thought they were a done deal.
What will be happening next (and the timeline for imnplementaion has been pushed back about a year - but that was announced back in November) are what are known as "stakeholder groups" around the state who will sit and help the department hammer out specific sites.
If I'm recalling the timeline right, by December of 2002, the plan should be in place, which then goes to the Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aqauculture (same one who had the hearing last Thursday), which make recommendations to DFG, who finalizes the plan for the Governor's signature, with a July 2003 starting implementation date (and even that'll probably be phased in over time).
But no way in hell is this a dead issue.
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA