BILL ANALYSIS �
AJR 20
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AJR 20 (Huffman)
As Introduced September 9, 2011
Majority vote
NATURAL RESOURCES 6-3
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|Ayes:|Chesbro, Brownley, | | |
| |Dickinson, Huffman, | | |
| |Monning, Skinner | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Knight, Grove, Halderman | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Urges the Congress of the United States to quickly
pass the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine
Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act (the Act)
and the President of the United States to expeditiously sign the
Act into law.
EXISTING LAW pursuant to the federal National Marine Sanctuary
System:
1)Creates the National Marine Sanctuary System, which is a
federal program that establishes areas of the marine
environment that have special conservation, recreational,
ecological, historical, cultural, archeological, scientific,
educational, or esthetic qualities as national marine
sanctuaries.
2)Establishes the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank
National Marine Sanctuaries.
3)Prohibits certain activities from the Gulf of the Farallones
and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, including
exploring for, developing, or producing oil or gas except
under certain circumstances related to pipelines.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
AJR 20
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COMMENTS : The primary objective of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (NMSA) is to protect marine resources,
such as coral reefs, sunken historical vessels, and unique
habitats. While each sanctuary established under the NMSA has
its own unique set of regulations, there are some rules that are
typical for many sanctuaries, such as prohibitions on: 1)
discharging material or other matter into the sanctuary; 2)
disturbance of, construction on, or alteration of the seabed; 3)
disturbance of cultural resources; and, 4) exploring for,
developing, or producing oil, gas, or minerals (with a
grandfather clause for preexisting operations).
In California, the NMSA created a number of marine sanctuaries,
including the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary,
which was established in 1981, and the Cordell Bank National
Marine Sanctuary, which was established in 1989.
The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary covers
nearly 966 square nautical miles of coastal and ocean wilderness
west of San Francisco and approximately 100 miles along the
coast of Marin and Sonoma Counties. The sanctuary is home to
some of the largest concentrations of white sharks and blue
whales on Earth, along with one-fifth of California's breeding
harbor seals and hundreds of thousands of breeding seabirds.
The sanctuary also protects numerous estuaries, bays, and
beaches for the public to enjoy.
The Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary covers 399 square
nautical miles of ocean immediately north of the Gulf of the
Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. This sanctuary gets its
name from the underwater mountain that rises to within 115 feet
of the ocean's surface off Point Reyes. Upwelling of
nutrient-rich deep water supports a flourishing ecosystem on and
around Cordell Bank, making the sanctuary a productive feeding
destination for diverse marine creatures. Common sanctuary
inhabitants and migratory visitors include whales, dolphins, sea
lions, seabirds, rockfish, and Pacific salmon.
The Act, authored by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (H.R. 192)
and Senator Barbara Boxer (S. 179), would 1) extend the
boundaries of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine
Sanctuary by 1,521square nautical miles and the Cordell
Bank National Marine Sanctuary by 571 square nautical
miles; 2) strengthen the protections that apply in the
AJR 20
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sanctuaries; 3) provide for the education and
interpretation for the public of the ecological value and
national importance of the sanctuaries; and, 4) manage
human uses of the sanctuaries. Both H.R. 192 and S. 179
expressly state that they are not intended to alter any
existing authorities regarding the conduct and location of
fishing activities in the sanctuaries. Additionally, the
expanded boundaries and protections contained in these
bills would not prevent boating, diving, or shipping in the
marine sanctuaries, which are permitted activities under
current law.
According to the author, "�a] congressional and executive
moratorium on offshore oil exploration and exploitation was
removed in 2008, leaving these waters of special biological
significance unprotected. These important marine resources,
among the richest on the planet, must be protected from oil
spills, pollution, and other forms of imminent environmental
degradation. If the precious natural resources that still exist
on this planet are not protected, our ecological and economic
systems will collapse."
Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092
FN: 0004128