BILL ANALYSIS
SJR 5
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SJR 5 (Wiggins and Pavley)
As Amended July 14, 2009
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :23-12
NATURAL RESOURCES 5-3
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|Ayes:|Skinner, Chesbro, De | | |
| |Leon, Hill, Huffman | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Gilmore, Knight, Logue | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Urges Congress to quickly pass and the President to
expeditiously sign the Act, (H.R. 223 and S. 212) which expands
the boundaries of the Sanctuaries north and westward offshore
Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties to approximately the edge
of the outer continental shelf (OCS).
FISCAL EFFECT : Non-fiscal
COMMENTS : H.R. 223, authored by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey,
expands the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
northward, adding 861 square nautical miles off of the coasts of
Sonoma and Mendocino Counties (S. 212 is the companion measure
authored by Senate Barbara Boxer). H.R. 223 would also expand
the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary northward and
westward, adding 233 square nautical miles off of Sonoma and
Marin Counties. The combined area of the Sanctuaries would grow
by roughly one-third to approximately 3,458 square nautical
miles-about the size of Delaware.
According to the author, these areas are considered by marine
experts as among the most biologically rich regions in the
world. This resolution states that these waters are within one
of the four coastal upwelling zones on earth, comprising only
one percent of the ocean but producing 20 percent of the world's
fish. The area's coastal estuaries provide critical habitat for
endangered salmon and steelhead, haul sites for seals and sea
lions, and migration corridors for the California gray whale and
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other aquatic species.
The author believes that the areas proposed to be included in
the Sanctuaries are currently vulnerable to oil and gas
development. In July 2008, former President Bush repealed an
executive order that withdrew certain areas in the OCS,
including offshore California, from oil and gas leasing. In
September 2008, Congress voted not to renew a moratorium on
offshore oil and gas development, officially opening up federal
waters off the California coast to drilling for the first time
since 1982.
On the very last day of the Bush administration, the Interior
Department proposed a new five-year plan for oil and gas leasing
on the OSC. In 31 lease sales, the plan proposes to lease as
much as 300 million acres of the OCS to drilling, including
about six million acres off the coast of Humboldt, Mendocino,
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and San
Diego Counties.
On February 10, 2009, Ken Salazar, the Secretary of Interior
announced a four-part strategy "for developing a new,
comprehensive approach to energy resources of the OCS." Among
other things, it extends the public comment period for the
proposed five-year oil and gas leasing program 180 days until
September 21, 2009, hosting four public meetings nationwide this
month to solicit input on whether, where, and how the federal
government develops its conventional and renewable energy
resources of the OCS.
Expanding the boundaries of the Sanctuaries would lead to
revisions of their respective management plans. H.R. 233
requires these revisions to "facilitate all appropriate public
and private uses" of the Sanctuaries consistent with the primary
objective of resource protection, identify research needs,
establish a long-term ecological monitoring program and
database, promote public education, and establish "temporal and
geographical zoning if necessary to ensure protection" of
sanctuary resources.
This last issue-ocean zoning-deserves special mention. A 2003
Pew Oceans Commission Report, as well as scientists, resource
managers, and advocacy organizations, recommended the
development of ocean zoning as a key component of
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ecosystem-based management. Similar to land use zoning, ocean
zoning would regulate and allocate access and use to specific
marine geographic areas. Zoning seeks to separate competing
uses, reduce conflict, increase certainty among users, and
protect sensitive marine resources. The state is pursuing a
similar, though less prescriptive, effort, pursuant to the
Marine Life Protection Act, in its evaluation and redesign of
the state's system of marine protected areas.
Analysis Prepared by : Dan Chia / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092
FN: 0001898