The MPA Network Decadal Management Review


Share Your Feedback by July 7, 2023

OPC, the California Fish and Game Commission, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are seeking your feedback on a draft prioritized list of the adaptive management recommendations included in the Decadal Management Review. Read more…

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) released the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Decadal Management Review (Review) in early 2023.

The Review provides a synthesis of the last decade of management activities in the four pillars of the MPA Management Program and the effectiveness of the MPA Network at meeting the goals of the Marine Life Protection Act. The Review is informed by many sources of information, including an integrative analysis of statewide MPA monitoring data, shared perspectives and priorities from California Native American Tribes, information from MPA management partners, MPA enforcement data, scientific collecting permit data, and input from the broader ocean community.

Read the NEW Review summary, Decade of Ocean Conservation: Key Findings from the First Review of California’s Marine Protected Area Network.

Timeline of Events

  • March 2023: Public discussions on the Review findings and adaptive management recommendations took place on March 15, 2023 with the MPA Day: Management Review Forum; A Marine Resources Committee meeting dedicated to discussing the contents of the Review followed the Forum on March 16, 2023.
  • April 2023: On April 20, as part of its regular quarterly meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission received a CDFW summary of the MPA Day Management Review Forum, held on March 15. The Commission discussed the next steps in considering results and adaptive management recommendations from the first decadal management review of the MPA network.
  • July 2023: CDFW will present a prioritized list of adaptative management recommendations at the July 20 California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) Marine Resources Committee meeting (MRC) meeting. The prioritized list considers all comments received at public meetings this past spring. To be included in the July meeting materials, written comments must be submitted to CFGC by 5:00 p.m. on July 7. The CFGC website includes instructions for how to submit written comments and the July meeting information.

Management Review Forum

OPC partnered with CDFW and the California Fish and Game Commission to host the MPA Day: Management Review Forum, a public forum to share the findings and adaptive management recommendations of the Review. There was booth space at the Forum for organizations to highlight the collaborative work over the last ten years that informed parts of the Review.

The public forum offered an opportunity for two-way conversations about the Review and management of the MPA Network. Please visit the CDFW MPA Management Review Forum web page for more details about the event.

Forum Agenda

Please view the Forum agenda to learn more about the day’s activities.

Forum Recording

A recording of the Forum is available online.

For inquiries regarding the Forum, please contact CDFW. Additional details and information about the report can be found on the Review web page.



Categories: Marine Protected Areas, Strategic Goal 3: Biodiversity