CONNECTIONS
Newsletter of the National Marine Protected Areas Center

May 2003

The mission of the National Marine Protected Areas Center is to facilitate the effective use of science, technology, training, and information in the planning, management, and evaluation of the nation’s system of marine protected areas.  Connections was launched to meet continuing calls by agency and external stakeholders for information about MPA Center activities.
 

Clarifying Misconceptions about Marine Protected Areas
(Fourth Part in a Series)

Misconception:  The Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Initiative, outlined in Executive Order 13158, replaces existing federal and state laws or regulations regarding MPAs.

Reality:  The MPA Initiative, which established the MPA Center and detailed the call for a national network of MPAs, does not include any mandate to override existing federal or state laws, regulations, or procedures.

It does not order the creation of new authorities or supersede existing regulatory or statutory authorities to protect marine resources.  It merely establishes a framework through which federal and state agencies can better coordinate their resource protection initiatives.  In fact, the Executive Order specifically states that the work of the MPA Center is intended to support, not interfere with, agencies’ independent exercise of their own authorities.

Both the Departments of Commerce and the Interior, along with other federal agencies, are working with states, territories, commonwealths, tribes, and other entities towards the effective design and management of marine protected areas.  Part of this coordination involves collecting data for an inventory of marine protected areas and marine managed areas across the country.  This inter-agency collaboration enhances existing protections and creates a national system of marine protected areas.

Some examples of existing federal MPA legislation includes: the Coastal Zone Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, National Historic Preservation Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, and the Wilderness Act, among others.

States use a wide variety of site designation authorities. General resource laws are used to provide protections for natural and cultural marine resources. These are supplemented by special area designations that take into account the resources, socio-economic benefits, and ecosystem services provided within distinct coastal areas, while tailoring regulations and policies to local or regional circumstances.

State regulations fall under categories of coastal management, environmental policy, land use governance, parks and recreation codes, fish and game provisions, and historic preservation laws.  In some cases, states simply institute policies or goals for a special area, or type of species, such as shellfish, for protection through MPAs.

To learn more about the Marine Protected Areas Initiative, visit http://mpa.gov/mpadescriptive/natinitiative.html

Question of the Month:  Who can attend the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee meeting?

The MPA Federal Advisory Committee meeting is open to the public.  The Committee will meet over a two-day period, and there will be time set aside for members of the public to address comments or questions to the Committee.  The Committee will meet in the Department of Commerce’s auditorium, which is located on the first floor of the Department’s headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C.  There is plenty of seating in the auditorium for members of the public.  A more complete agenda will be posted on the MPA website in early June.

Check http://mpa.gov for more details.