OPC December 16, 2011 Meeting Highlights
TO: California Ocean and Coastal Community
FROM: John Laird, Secretary for Natural Resources
DATE: January 10, 2012
SUBJECT: Ocean Protection Council Meeting Highlights – December 16, 2011 in Sacramento
The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) convened on December 16, 2011 for a very productive meeting in Sacramento. The Council discussed extreme climate events, adopted a California voluntary sustainable seafood program protocol, recommended policy on marine renewable energy test and pilot projects, supported integration of California’s coastal and marine geospatial data into a statewide geo-portal, and concurred with selected research projects to inform management.
The highlights of our meeting are below. For further information, we encourage you to visit our website to access the meeting minutes and the webcast.
OPC Strategic Plan Update
The Council’s Executive Director announced that a new draft of the strategic plan is available on the OPC website for review and public comment until January 16, 2012.
Spotlight on Science: Extreme Events
Building off of the Governor’s Conference on Extreme Climate Risks and California’s Future on December 15, 2011, the Spotlight on Science provided a targeted discussion of the latest science addressing increasing coastal vulnerability due to a changing climate. Dr. Gary Griggs, director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz, gave the presentation The Vulnerability of the California Coast to Climate Change and Extreme Events. Dr. Patrick Barnard, Coastal Geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, followed with his presentation Storminess and Extreme Coastal Water Levels: Historical Observations and Future Projections for the California Coast. Rebecca Smyth, West Coast director at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Services Center, provided examples on how Californians are using data to plan for future events in her presentation Examples of Decision Support Tools and Community Adaptation Efforts.
Support for Integration of California’s Coastal And Marine Geospatial Data into a Statewide Geo-Portal
The Council was updated on progress toward implementing AB 2125 to improve use and sharing of geospatial data. The OPC authorized development of an agreement with the California Technology Agency to support the integration of California’s coastal and marine geospatial data into a statewide internet-based “geo-portal”. The Council requested review of a range of funding options for implementation at a future meeting.
Adoption of a California Voluntary Sustainable Seafood Program Protocol
The Council adopted a California Voluntary Sustainable Seafood Program protocol, developed per the requirements of AB 1217 (Monning, 2009). California’s program is based on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) protocol while incorporating stricter standards on selected performance indicators, additional scientific review, and additional traceability and consumer information. OPC staff will also work with partner agencies to ensure that information about fish toxicity in commercially landed fisheries is accessible to the public because toxicity is an important part of consumer choice related to seafood. Next steps will include requests for authorization of funds to implement the program, including commencement of pre-assessments, and development of a traceability program, logo, and marketing assistance program.
Adoption of a Policy to the California Energy Commission on Marine Renewable Energy Test and Pilot Projects
The Council was updated on progress related to ocean renewable energy (convening of a workshop of regulatory agencies and development of a regulatory guidance document that is now available on the OPC website) and adopted a policy recommendation to the California Energy Commission (CEC) related to marine renewable energy for the CEC to consider as part of their Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) update.
Concurrence with Sea Grant Research Projects
The Council concurred with the proposed research awards for the 2011 University of California and University of Southern California Sea Grant Programs. At its November 29, 2010 public meeting, the OPC authorized a grant of $1,080,000 to the state’s two Sea Grant programs to select and fund scientific research projects to support the OPC’s research priorities and inform management and policy decisions. The OPC’s concurrence for the selected research projects is required before the research grants can be awarded.
For meeting details, please visit our website: http://www.opc.ca.gov/category/meetings/
