http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12869

Support California’s Ocean Legacy

Protect Our Undersea Yosemites

For the past two years, California has been working to establish new marine protected areas along its north central coast. As we approach the final decision making hearings, we need your help to urge the Fish & Game Commission not to weaken protection of our “undersea Yosemites” or allow any more delays in this critical effort.

 

Please sign this petiton to urge the Commissioners and Governor Schwarzenegger to do the right thing.

 

Dear [Decision Maker],

 

Thank you for your past support of strong marine protected areas (MPA) for California's north central coast. I urge you to support prompt adoption of the "Integrated Preferred Alternative" MPA plan with no further cuts. The IPA is based on extensive public and stakeholder input. It represents a thoughtful compromise that provides strong ecological protection with very low economic impacts.

 

Marine protected areas are an investment in the future productivity of our coastal waters. With a multi-billion-dollar coastal tourism industry in California, a healthy ocean is a sound investment. MPA opponents are using the state and national fiscal crisis as an excuse to argue that adoption of California's marine protected areas should be delayed indefinitely.

 

We urge you to reject this attempt to derail California’s ocean legacy. Ocean protection is not an issue that can be tabled until the economy recovers—fish populations and sensitive habitat are in decline, and we have to act now to reverse the damage.

 

Threats to marine ecosystems continue to grow. Coastal development, pollution, overfishing, and increasingly, the impacts of climate change all threaten our ocean wildlife and habitats. Marine protected areas are a critical tool for improving ocean resilience and restoring damaged marine ecosystems. California is leading the nation under the MLPA, by implementing the first statewide network of MPAs.

 

Please support adoption and prompt implementation of the Integrated Preferred Alternative MPA plan.

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12869