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Home , Cardiff State Beach, Carmel River State Beach, China Camp State Park, Crystal Cove State Park, Doheny State Beach, King Range (California)

Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts ’s New Marine Managed Areas System

W. James Barry, California Department of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, California 94296-0001; [email protected] Gena R. Lasko, California Department of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, California 94296-0001; [email protected] Introduction State Reserve became the first permanent marine protected area in the nation on July 1, 1960. Seven hundred and fifty acres of submerged lands were annexed to the terrestrial portion of the reserve. Buck Island Reef National Monument, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was established in 1961, followed in 1963 by John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in the Florida Keys. In 1968, Director William Penn Mott Department of Fish and Game also manages established the California Department of several variations of refuges (20) and reserves Parks and Recreation Underwater Parks (9). Program, appointing a scientific- and indus- In the 1970s, the California State Water try-represented panel: the California Advisory Resources Control Board established 34 Board for Underwater Parks and Reserves. Its “areas of biological significance” in coastal mission was to identify outstanding and repre- waters. These were designated to protect sentative examples of marine and inland marine biota from point-source and thermal underwater ecosystems, and to recommend pollution. management methods for both preservation The California Marine Resources and recreational use. Protection Act of 1990 was a referendum that The board investigated numerous sites required the California Fish and Game and made recommendations for inclusion into Commission to establish four fully protected the State Parks System. Quarterly site investi- ecological reserves. These were brought into gations and public meetings were held from the new classification system on January 1, 1968 to the early 1980s, when budget 2003. They are (Punta Gorda), restraints precluded further investigations. Big Creek, Vandenberg, and Big Sycamore The State Parks System includes over 500 Canyon state marine reserves. units, of which 273 have been classified. Following the “California and the World Currently, 28 of the 273 classified units Oceans Conference ’97”, the California include contiguous underwater portions, Resources Agency released an analysis which totaling around 59,600 acres. Of these units, indicated that the state’s array of ocean and 16 are in marine environments, 13 are estuar- coastal managed area designations (such as ine, 2 are freshwater, and 1 is saline. Most are reserves, state reserves, refuges, state parks, managed by California State Parks under 49- and natural preserves) that has evolved over or 10-year leases from the California State the last 50 years is complex and often confus- Lands Commission. ing. The California Ecological Reserve Act of The analysis recommended development 1968 authorized the Department of Fish and of a more effective and less complicated Game to create ecological reserves (California statewide system of ocean and coastal man- Fish and Game Code Sections 1580–1585, aged areas. It further recommended develop- 1907). There are 28 ecological reserves with- ing a comprehensive program, with clear crite- in marine and estuarine waters of the state. ria for creating, administering, and enforcing Regulations vary from protection of one taxon management measures in these areas. To (e.g., California hydrocoral at Farnsworth address this issue, the Resources Agency con- Bank Ecological Reserve) to total protection vened the State Interagency Marine Managed (e.g., Heisler Park Ecological Reserve). The Areas Workgroup to better define and evalu- 215 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts ate state marine managed area classifications. Game Commission to establish a network of The workgroup’s January 2000 report, marine protected areas around the northern “Improving California’s System of Marine Channel Islands. This request preceded the Managed Areas,” made recommendations for Marine Life Protection Act by nearly one year. improving the organizational system and man- As a result of the request, the Fish and Game agement of the array of state marine managed Commission directed the Department of Fish areas in California, and was the result of a col- and Game and Channel Islands National laborative effort spanning an 18-month peri- Marine Sanctuary to jointly support a process od. to discuss marine protected areas in the The California Marine Managed Areas Channel Islands area. In October 2002, the Improvement Act of 2000 provided a uniform Fish and Game Commission adopted 12 new classification system and defined the terms marine protected areas around the Channel “marine managed areas” and “marine protect- Islands as a result of this process. ed areas.” It also gave priority to establishing marine protected areas adjacent to protected California Marine terrestrial lands. The workgroup conducted Managed Areas System its deliberations, where possible, in coopera- The 1991 amendments to the California tion with other marine managed area efforts Ocean Resources Management Act trans- that were underway in California. One such ferred all responsibility for marine and coastal effort was the passage of Assembly Bill 933 resource management programs to the secre- (Shelley 1999), the Marine Life Protection tary for resources. The Resources Agency Act, requiring the California Fish and Game drafted the following vision and mission state- Commission to adopt a master plan for guid- ments: ing the adoption and implementation of a Vision. “Provide statewide leadership to marine life protection program by the ensure that California’s marine managed area Department of Fish and Game, focusing on needs are met fully and efficiently for future the protection of living marine resources and generations. These needs include, but are not their through marine protected areas, limited to heritage preservation, adequate where the extraction of such resources is pro- marine life refugia to perpetuate commercial hibited or restricted in some fashion. A draft and sport fisheries, non-consumptive scientif- report to the Fish and Game Commission was ic and recreational uses and public educa- to be submitted by January 2002 and the final tion.” master plan by April 2002. These deadlines Mission. “To provide an efficient, inte- have been extended three years by the legisla- grated system of marine managed areas that is ture at the request of the Department of Fish representative of all marine ecosystems found and Game. within State waters and tidelands. To access, The requirements of the Marine Life conserve, and/or restore marine ecosystems. Protection Act are consistent with, and com- To manage California’s ocean resources on a plementary to, the recommendations made in long-term, sustainable basis. To maintain bio- the marine managed areas report. The com- logical diversity and productivity and to pro- prehensive set of findings and recommenda- tect marine archeological resources.” tions address such issues as designing a more “Marine managed areas” in California are manageable classification system, the site pro- defined as named, discrete geographic marine posal and designation process, management or estuarine areas along the California coast and enforcement within designated areas, and designated by law or administrative action, improving public education, research, moni- and which are intended to protect, conserve toring, and evaluation activities. or otherwise manage a variety of resources and In 1998, the Channel Islands Marine their uses. The resources and uses may Resources Restoration Committee, a group of include, but are not limited to, living marine concerned citizens, requested the Fish and resources and their habitats, scenic views, 216 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts water quality, recreational values, and cultural uration of the continental shelf north of San or geological resources (California Public Francisco as well as the undersea mountain Resources Code, Section 36602(d)). range—the Mendocino Escarpment. The con- “Marine protected areas” in California are tinental shelf is narrow here, unlike southern defined as marine or estuarine areas seaward California, where the same tectonic forces of the mean high tide line or the mouth of a have created a broader shelf (continental bor- coastal river, including any area of intertidal or derlands) with islands and submarine moun- subtidal terrain, together with its overlying tain ranges separated by basins. North of Point water and associated flora and fauna, that have Conception, submarine canyons and deep sea been designated by law or administrative fans caused by violent turbidity currents action to protect or conserve marine life and punctuate the shelf. Southward, sea mounts (California Public Resources Code, (submerged mountains) are numerous. Four Section 36602(e)). marine ecological regions identified by Barry The six classifications of marine managed and Foster (1998) are illustrated in Figures areas (including estuarine) that have been 1–4. These ecological regions are divided into established for the state of California are: 12 subregions. Subregions were determined by environmental factors such as water tem- •State marine reserve.Protected areas perature, geologic features, and biota. where all features and marine life are pro- tected. • State marine park.Protected areas that are designated to protect marine life but allows some recreational take of resources. • State marine conservation area. Protected areas that are designated to pro- tect marine life but allow some commercial and recreational take of resources. • State marine cultural preservation area. Protected areas that are designated to pre- serve cultural objects or sites of historical, archeological, or scientific interest in marine areas. • State marine recreational management area.Protected areas that are designated to provide, limit, or restrict recreational opportunities while preserving the basic resource values for present and future gen- erations. • State marine water quality protection area.Protected areas that are designated to protect marine species or biological com- munities from an undesirable alteration in natural water quality (formerly called “areas of special biological significance”). Planning by Ecological Regions and Subregions California’s coastal configuration and oceanic environments are extremely varied. Figures 1–4. California’s four marine ecolog- The San Andreas Fault determines the config- ical regions, from north (Figure 1) to south (Figure 4). 217 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts

Figure 2.

The new marine managed area system Oregonian Marine includes the following components, some of Ecological Region which also have been reclassified (as state Gorda Marine Ecological Subregion marine water quality protection areas) under • State Park the new system. Areas thus classified are • Redwoods National & State Parks marked with an asterisk. • Redwoods National Park* • Beds at Trinidad Head*

218 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts

Mendocino Marine Ecological Subregion • King Range Marine Ecological Reserve • MacKerricher State Park •Point Cabrillo State Marine Reserve • • • Manchester State Park •Arena Rock Marine Natural Preserve •Kings Range National Conservation Area* •Pygmy Forest* Northern Californian Marine Ecological Region Bodega Marine Ecological Subregion • Kelp Beds at Saunders Reef • Del Mar Landing Ecological Reserve • • Gerstle Reserve •Fort Ross State Historic Park • Sonoma Coast State • Bodega Marine Life Refuge • Ecological Reserve • Del Mar Landing* • Gerstle Cove* • Bodega Marine Life Refuge* • Bird Rock*

Figure 3.

Figure 4. 219 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts Farallones Ecological Subregion Marine Ecological Subregion •Point Reyes Headlands Reserve • Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park • Estero de Limantour Reserve • Big Creek State Marine Reserve •Point Reyes National Seashore • Julia Pfeiffer Burns Underwater Park* •Duxbury Reef Reserve •Ocean Area Surrounding Salmon Creek* • James V. Fitzgerald Marine Life Refuge •Point Reyes Headland and Extension* Santa Lucia Bank Marine Ecological • Double Point* Subregion •Duxbury Reef Reserve and Extension* •Atascadero Pismo Clam Refuge •Farallon Island* •Morro Beach Pismo Clam Preserve • James V. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve* • Pismo Invertebrate Reserve • Pismo Clam Preserve Bay Ecological Subregion • Angel Island State Park Conception Marine Ecological Subregion • •Vandenberg State Marine Reserve • Benicia State Recreation Area, South- • Harris Point State Marine Reserve, San ampton Bay Natural Preserve Miguel Island • State Recreation Area • Judith Rock State Marine Reserve, San •Franks Tract State Recreation Area Miguel Island • EastShore State Park • Richardson Rock State Marine Reserve, • Albany State Marine Reserve San Miguel Island • Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve •Carrington Point State Marine Reserve, •Fagan Marsh Ecological Reserve Santa Rosa Island •Peytonia Slough Ecological Reserve •Skunk Point State Marine Reserve, Santa • Corte Madera Ecological Reserve Rosa Island • Ecological Reserve • South Point State Marine Reserve • Robert W. Crown Reserve • San Miguel* • Redwood Shores Ecological Reserve • Santa Rosa* • Ecological Reserve • Begg Rock* • San Nicolas Island* Central Californian Marine Ecological Region Southern–Baja Californian Monterey Bay Marine Ecological Subregion Marine Ecological Region • Ecological Reserve Santa Barbara Channel Marine Ecological • Salinas River State Beach, Salinas River Subregion Mouth Natural Preserve • •Hopkins Marine Life Refuge • Santa Cruz Islands •Pacific Grove Marine Gardens Fish •Painted Cave State Marine Conservation Refuge Area, • , Carmel River •Scorpion State Marine Reserve, Santa Lagoon and Wetland Natural Preserve Cruz Island • Ecological Reserve • Anacapa Island State Marine Reserve •Point Lobos State Marine Reserve • Anacapa Island State Marine • Azo Nuevo Point and Island* Conservation Area •Hopkins Marine Life Refuge* • Mugu Lagoon–Latigo Point* •Pacific Grove Gardens Fish Refuge* • Anacapa Island* • Carmel Bay* •Point Lobos Ecological Reserve* Santa Catalina Marine Ecological Subregion • Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve •Point Fermin Marine Life Refuge 220 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts • Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve References • Ecological Reserve Baird, Brian, Melissa Miller-Henson, and • Newport Beach Marine Life Refuge Brice Semmens. 2000. Improving • California’s System of Marine Managed • Irvine Coast Marine Life Refuge Areas. Final Report of the State •Heisler Park Ecological Reserve Interagency Marine Managed Areas • Laguna Beach Marine Life Refuge Workgroup. Sacramento: California • Niguel Marine Life Refuge Resources Agency. • Dana Point Marine Life Refuge Barry, W. James, John W. Foster, and Kenneth • W. Collier. 1995. California Underwater • Doheny Marine Life Refuge Parks and Reserves Action Plan. • Ecological Reserve Sacramento: Department of Parks and • Ecological Reserve Recreation. • City of Encinitas Marine Life Refuge Barry, W. James, and John W. Foster. 1997. • California underwater parks and reserves, • planning and management. In California • San Dieguito Lagoon Ecological Reserve. and the World Oceans ’97. Vol. 1. Orville •Torrey Pines State Reserve, Los T. Magoon, Hugh Converse, Brian Baird Penasquitos Natural Preserve and Melissa Miller-Henson, eds. Reston, • Marine Life Refuge Va.: American Society of Civil Engineers, • San Diego–La Jolla Marine Life Refuge 86–97. •Silver Strand State Beach Barry, W. James, John W. Foster, and Gena R. •Farnsworth Bank Ecological Reserve Lasko. California Department of Parks and • Newport Beach Marine Life Refuge* Recreation marine managed areas plan, • Irvine Coast Marine Life Refuge* 2002 working draft. Sacramento: •Heisler Park Ecological Reserve* Department of Parks and Recreation. • San Diego Marine Life Refuge* California Department of Fish and Game. • San Diego–La Jolla Marine Life Refuge* 2001. Marine Life Protection Act initial • Isthmus Cove to Catalina Head Santa* draft concepts for marine protected area • North End of Little Harbor to Ben Weston networks. Monterey: California Point* Department of Fish and Game. •Farnsworth Bank Ecological Reserve* ———. 2002. Descriptions and evaluations of • Binnacle Rock to Jewfish Point* existing California Marine Protected Areas. Monterey: California Department Santa Cruz Basin Ecological Subregion of Fish and Game. • Gull Island State Marine Reserve, Santa California Resources Agency. 1997. Cruz Island California’s Ocean Resources: An Agenda • Santa Barbara Island State Marine Reserve for the Future. Sacramento: State Printing • San Clemente Island* Office. • Santa Barbara Island* California Water Resources Control Board. 1998. Areas of Special Biological Proposed New Additions Significance. Sacramento: Office of Public New additions identified include 25 pro- Affairs. posed state marine reserves, 51 state marine Collier, Ken. 1984. California State Park parks, 3 state marine conservation areas, 4 System Underwater Parks Master Plan: state marine conservation areas, 5 state marine Update. Sacramento: Department of Parks cultural management areas, and 5 state marine and Recreation. recreational management areas. Davis, Braxton, John Lopez, and Andrea Finch. 2003. State Polices and Programs Related to Marine Managed Areas: Issues 221 Protecting Oceans and Their Coasts and Recommendations for a National Protected Areas. La Jolla: California Sea System. Final Draft. Washington, D.C.: Grant College System, University of Coastal States Organization. California. McArdle, D.A. 1997. California Marine ✥

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