California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Announcement
Guidelines for Providing Public Comment to the
MLPA South Coast Project
Who: Members of the public

What: Opportunities to provide public comment on to the MLPA South Coast Project

Where:

MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) meeting
Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center
701 West Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90831

When: Public comment will be taken on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at approximately 1:30 p.m. and again at approximately 7:00 p.m.

How:

The public is invited to provide comments directly related to recommending a preferred marine protected area (MPA) proposal for the MLPA South Coast Study Region, the primary purpose for this BRTF meeting.

1. Specific public comment will be taken beginning at approximately 1:30 p.m. for approximately three hours. All comments provided at this time should be focused on recommending a preferred MPA proposal for the MLPA South Coast Study Region.

 ? Feedback on specific shape boundaries, types (classifications) of MPAs, and location of proposed MPAs is valuable. Do you support what is being proposed? If not, can you offer a specific change in shape, classification and/or location?

2. General public comment related to the MLPA Initiative will be taken from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The public may speak to broader topics involving the BRTF or provide comments directly related to recommending a preferred MPA proposal for the south coast.

We request that speakers chose one comment period in which to speak. See below for specific guidelines for providing effective public comment.

3. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted by midnight on October 11, 2009. Written comments will still be accepted after October 11, however comments received after midnight on October 11 will not be received by the BRTF in advance of the October 20-22 meeting.

Opportunities for the public to learn about the Round 3 final regional stakeholder group MPA proposals include:

* Review Round 3 final SCRSG proposals on the MLPA website by Friday, September 25 (visit the popular resources box at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa).

* On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, screenshots of each final SCRSG MPA proposal will be available for public viewing outside of the general meeting room.

Please refer to the below document, Guidelines for Providing Public Comment to the MLPA Initiative South Coast Project for additional information.

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Guidelines for Providing Public Comment to the
Marine Life Protection Act South Coast Project

The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative is designed as a transparent, science-based and stakeholder-driven process. As such, public comment is important to the success of the marine protected area (MPA) planning process. There are different methods available for public comment listed below.

Verbal Comments at Meetings

All meetings of the MLPA Initiative process will offer a minimum of one opportunity for public comment. Guidelines for general public comment at meetings include:

 ? Comment cards will be available approximately 1.5 hours before the start of each public comment period. Speakers are requested to choose one comment period in which to speak.

 ? Comment cards are requested to be submitted 15 minutes before the start of a public comment period. No new comment cards will be accepted once the comment period has begun. Speakers must be present and turn in their own cards (this also applies to all individual speakers who wish to cede their time to other speakers).

 ? Comment cards will be counted and, at the discretion of staff or the chair, the time allocated to each speaker will be based on the total available time and number of individuals wishing to speak. Time allotments will be enforced.

 ? Speakers with a shared message or from the same organization are encouraged to combine speaking points. Additional time for comment will be given to these 'spokespeople' and those who have ceded their time can stand to show support.

 ? Speakers with ceded time will be placed at the front of the queue. All other members of the public will be invited to speak in the order the speaker cards are received.

 ? Speakers are welcome to distribute written material to the audience. Other media presentations, such as slides and videos, are only permitted by prior arrangement (contact Kelly Sayce at 310-738-2665 or kelly@strategicoceansolutions.com) and may be limited depending on time availability. Please arrive early and let staff know if you have a media presentation. An alternate space in the venue will be provided for displaying any additional media information, as needed and as space is available.

 ? The time for public comment will be noticed in the agenda for each meeting.

o For the upcoming MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force meeting:


 ? On October 21, 2009 specific public comment will be taken at approximately 1:30 p.m. for approximately three hours. All comments provided at this time should be directly related to developing a final recommended MPA proposal for the south coast.

 ? On October 21, 2009 general public comment will be taken at approximately 7:00-10:00 p.m.

o We request that you choose one comment period in which to speak at the upcoming BRTF meeting. If you request to speak during both comment periods, your comments during the evening session must be related to something other than developing the preferred MPA proposal to recommend for the south coast.

 ? An atmosphere of respect and consideration among the public is essential for a productive comment period. Verbal threats, hostile comments, clapping, jeering and the like will not be tolerated and may lead to immediate dismissal.

Written Comments

Written comments are accepted on an ongoing basis via email, fax or mail. All written comments are collated on a weekly basis and distributed to the south coast regional stakeholder group, blue ribbon task force (BRTF), and staff, as well as the science advisory team if the comments are science related.

Written comments on Round 3 final proposals are encouraged to be submitted by midnight on October 11, 2009 so that BRTF members receive them in advance of the October meeting. Written comments will still be accepted after October 11; however, comments received after October 11 will not be received by the BRTF in advance of the October 20-22 meeting.

Comments to the MLPA Initiative can be submitted using any one of the following methods:

Email
MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov

Mail
Marine Life Protection Act Initiative
c/o California Natural Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814

FAX
916.653.8102