Gulf of the Farallones N Ational Marine Sanctuary
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GULF OF THE FARALLONES N ATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY FINAL MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATED IN RESPONSE TO THE SANCTUARY EXPANSION UPDATED DECEMBER 2014 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE OFFICE OF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES GULF OF THE FARALLONES NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY FINAL MANAGEMENT PLAN Updated December 2014 The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) Management Plan has been updated in response to the sanctuary expansion. A sanctuary management review is conducted at a sanctuary periodically, in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA; 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). The updated plan applies to the entire area encompassed by the sanctuary. The issue areas and programs addressed in this document were built with guidance from the general public, sanctuary staff, agency representatives, experts in the field and the sanctuary advisory council. For readers that would like to learn more about the management plan, GFNMS policies and community-based management processes, we encourage you to visit our website at www.farallones.noaa.gov. Readers who do not have Internet access may call the sanctuary office at (415) 561-6622 to request relevant documents or further information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) seeks to increase public awareness of America’s ocean and Great Lakes treasures by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs. Today, the program manages thirteen national marine sanctuaries and one marine national monument that together encompass more than 170,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources. The NOAA Ocean Service is the umbrella organization for ONMS and is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving and restoring the nation’s coasts and oceans and works to balance environmental protection with economic prosperity in its mission promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards. NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. For more information, contact: Maria Brown, Sanctuary Superintendent Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary 991 Marine Drive, The Presidio San Francisco, CA 94129 (415) 561-6622 Cover Photo Credits: Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) –Jeff Foott Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) –Thomas M. Johnson White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) – Scot Anderson GFNMS Boundary Map GFNMS Final Management Plan GULF OF THE FARALLONES NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY MAP v Table of Contents GFNMS Final Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Map ............................................................ v Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 5 Sanctuary Setting ......................................................................................................................... 13 Structure of the Action Plans ...................................................................................................... 33 Issue-Based Action Plans ............................................................................................................ 39 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 41 Performance Measures .......................................................................................................... 58 Wildlife Disturbance ............................................................................................................... 61 MAP: Cargo Vessel, Low Overflight, and White Shark Approach Prohibition Areas MAP: Motorized Personal Watercraft (MPWC) .................................................................. 77 Performance Measures .......................................................................................................... 79 Introduced Species .................................................................................................................. 81 Performance Measures .......................................................................................................... 92 Ecosystem Protection: Impacts from Fishing Activities .................................................... 95 Performance Measures ........................................................................................................ 104 Impacts from Vessel Spills ................................................................................................... 107 MAP: Vessel Traffic Lanes ................................................................................................ 119 Performance Measures ........................................................................................................ 120 Program Area Action Plans ....................................................................................................... 123 Education and Outreach ...................................................................................................... 125 Performance Measures ........................................................................................................ 136 Conservation Science ............................................................................................................ 139 Performance Measures ........................................................................................................ 148 Resource Protection .............................................................................................................. 151 Performance Measures ........................................................................................................ 168 Administration ...................................................................................................................... 171 Staffing Plan........................................................................................................................ 180 Cross-Cutting Action Plans ....................................................................................................... 181 Administration and Operations ........................................................................................... 185 vii Table of Contents GFNMS Final Management Plan Community Outreach ........................................................................................................... 191 Ecosystem Monitoring .......................................................................................................... 197 Maritime Heritage ................................................................................................................ 205 Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 215 Appendix A: Jurisdictional Authorities ............................................................................. 217 Appendix B: Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................ 221 Appendix C: Acronyms ..................................................................................................... 225 Appendix D: Citations ....................................................................................................... 231 Appendix E: Vertebrates .................................................................................................... 237 Appendix F: Invertebrates and Algae ................................................................................ 259 Appendix G: Introduced Species ....................................................................................... 279 viii Executive Summary GFNMS Final Management Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE SOUTH FARALLON ISLANDS SERVE AS A CRITICAL BREEDING AND FEEDING GROUND FOR MANY SEABIRD AND MARINE MAMMAL POPULATIONS OF THE SANCTUARY. PHOTO: NOAA Current Status This document is the management plan for Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) prepared the plan in cooperation with the public, state and federal agencies, stakeholders, and the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary advisory council. The last version of the management plan was published in 2008, and has been updated in response to the sanctuary expansion. The plan applies to the entire area encompassed by the former sanctuary and the expansion area. The entire management plan has not been rewritten; the plan is scheduled to be reviewed five-years after the effective date of the expansion. GFNMS Designation GFNMS has been vested with the authority, in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), to provide comprehensive and coordinated conservation and management of the sanctuary. In general, the Sanctuary includes the waters surrounding the Farallon Islands and the coastal waters extending north-to-south from the 39th Parallel at Manchester Beach in