2023 California Code › Fish and Game Code - FGC › DIVISION 3 - FISH AND GAME GENERALLY › CHAPTER 10.5 - Marine Life Protection Act › Section 2856.

2856. (a) (1) The department and team shall use the best readily available scientific information in preparing the master plan adopted pursuant to Section 2855, and shall organize the location-specific contents, where feasible, by biogeographical region. In preparing the plan, the department and team shall use and build upon the findings of the Sea Grant survey of protected areas in California waters, which is entitled “California’s Marine Protected Areas,” the report of the State Interagency Marine Managed Areas Workgroup, the Department of Parks and Recreation’s planning information and documents regarding existing and potential underwater parks and reserves, maps and other information from the department’s marine nearshore ecosystem mapping project, and other relevant planning and scientific materials.
(2) The master plan shall include all of the following components:
(A) Recommendations for the extent and types of habitat that should be represented in the MPA system and in marine life reserves. Habitat types described on maps shall include, to the extent possible using existing information, rocky reefs, intertidal zones, sandy or soft ocean bottoms, underwater pinnacles, sea mounts, kelp forests, submarine canyons, and seagrass beds.
(B) An identification of select species or groups of species likely to benefit from MPAs, and the extent of their marine habitat, with special attention to marine breeding and spawning grounds, and available information on oceanographic features, such as current patterns, upwelling zones, and other factors that significantly affect the distribution of those fish or shellfish and their larvae.
(C) Recommendations to augment or modify the guidelines in subdivision (c) of Section 2857, if necessary to ensure that the guidelines reflect the most up-to-date science, including, for example, recommendations regarding the minimum size of individual marine life reserves needed to accomplish the various goals set forth in Section 2853.
(D) Recommended alternative networks of MPAs, including marine life reserves in each biogeographical region that are capable of achieving the goals in Section 2853 and designed according to the guidelines in subdivision (c) of Section 2857.
(E) A simplified classification system, which shall be consistent with the goals of Section 2853 and the guidelines in subdivision (c) of Section 2857, and which may include protections for specific habitats or species, if no system that meets these specifications has already been developed.
(F) Recommendations for a preferred siting alternative for a network of MPAs that is consistent with the goals in Section 2853 and the guidelines in subdivision (c) of Section 2857.
(G) An analysis of the state’s current MPAs, based on the preferred siting alternative, and recommendations as to whether any specific MPAs should be consolidated, expanded, abolished, reclassified, or managed differently so that, taken as a group, the MPAs best achieve the goals of Section 2853 and conform to the guidelines in subdivision (c) of Section 2857.
(H) Recommendations for monitoring, research, and evaluation in selected areas of the preferred alternative, including existing and long-established MPAs, to assist in adaptive management of the MPA network, taking into account existing and planned research and evaluation efforts.
(I) Recommendations for management and enforcement measures for the preferred alternative that apply systemwide or to specific types of sites and that would achieve the goals of this chapter.
(J) Recommendations for improving the effectiveness of enforcement practices, including, to the extent practicable, the increased use of advanced technology surveillance systems.
(K) Recommendations for funding sources to ensure all MPA management activities are carried out and the Marine Life Protection Program is implemented.
(b) The team shall, as necessary, identify and define additional appropriate components of the master plan as soon as possible after enactment of this section.
(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 1015, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2000.)