Chesbro asks for six-month delay of North Coast MLPA process
Times-Standard
08/10/2010
Citing concerns about how the Marine Life Protection Act is being implemented on the North Coast, Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata, asked for a delay in the process, the legislator's office announced Monday.
Enacted in 1999, the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) calls for a coordinated network of ocean zones that are off-limits or restricted to fishing and gathering. It has been a major source of controversy among fishing and tribal communities along the California coast, including in Humboldt County.
According to the release from Chesbro's office, the assemblyman asked California Resources Secretary Lester Snow to delay the process for at least six months to ensure that environmental protection is balanced with traditional access rights. Chesbro made the request in a recent meeting with Snow.
”I have met with Resources Secretary Lester Snow and strongly urged him to slow down the process and that no action be taken by the Blue Ribbon Task Force for at least six months to allow more time to develop a plan that protects marine life and balances the access rights of traditional user groups,” Chesbro said in the release. “I am confident that given enough time we can develop a workable solution between the fishing community, North Coast tribes and environmentalists. There has already been some movement in this direction. This is something that cannot be rushed.”
Chesbro has been a critic of the process Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has employed to implement the MLPA since he took office in 2008, the release said.
