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Will California Legislature Help People Resist MLPAI “Fisheries Fascism?”
John Lewallen, a well-respected North Coast environmental leader and sustainable seaweed harvester, has written a superb commentary about how Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's fast-track Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI) has brought "Fisheries Fascism" to the California coast. He appeals to the California Legislature to immediately suspend the MLPAI process by defunding it.
"A group of oil-company lobbyists, marina developers, and advocates of 'ecosystem management' by removing human ocean food providers, have hijacked the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999," says Lewallen. "The MLAPI has completely shaped the 1999 Act into a force it was never intended to be, a means not of protecting fisheries but of managing people."
Real environmentalists like Lewallen, unlike some corporate "environmental" NGOs that support this corrupt, elitist and racist process, understand that this process is being used to kick American Indian Tribes, seaweed harvesters and fishermen, the strongest defenders of the marine ecosystem, from their traditional harvesting areas on the North Coast. Is this being done to clear a path for the installation of offshore oil rigs, wave energy projects and corporate aquaculture facilities?
"A group of oil-company lobbyists, marina developers, and advocates of 'ecosystem management' by removing human ocean food providers, have hijacked the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999," says Lewallen. "The MLAPI has completely shaped the 1999 Act into a force it was never intended to be, a means not of protecting fisheries but of managing people."
Real environmentalists like Lewallen, unlike some corporate "environmental" NGOs that support this corrupt, elitist and racist process, understand that this process is being used to kick American Indian Tribes, seaweed harvesters and fishermen, the strongest defenders of the marine ecosystem, from their traditional harvesting areas on the North Coast. Is this being done to clear a path for the installation of offshore oil rigs, wave energy projects and corporate aquaculture facilities?
Will California Legislature Help People Resist MLPAI “Fisheries Fascism?”
by John Lewallen, Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company
“I have looked fascism in the face,” my wife Barbara said, when we came out of the August 5 Fish & Game Commission hearing. The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI) has brought fascism to California’s public fisheries regulatory process. If we can look this private-foundation takeover of public process in the face now, we may be able to stop it in its early phases.
Fascism’s first target in California is independent ocean food providers operating in clean, wild ocean ecosystems. A group of oil-company lobbyists, marina developers, and advocates of “ecosystem management” by removing human ocean food providers, have hijacked the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999. The MLAPI has completely shaped the 1999 Act into a force it was never intended to be, a means not of protecting fisheries but of managing people.
With the sudden August 1 appointment of lobbyist Donald Benninghoven to the State Fish & Game Commission, an unconstitutional appointment made by Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman with the Governor out-of-state, the private-money takeover of the commission became complete. Along with Commissioners Sutton and Rogers, the Blue Ribbon Task Force running the privately-funded MLAPI is sure of a three-vote majority to adopt any South Coast or North Coast marine protected areas they want.
Commissioner-designate Benninghoven’s conflict of interest is shockingly blatant: Benninghoven was a leading member of the privately-funded MLAPI Blue Ribbon Task Force that created the controversial plan for huge, permanent closures of fisheries and intertidal subsistence-harvesting on the North Central Coast.
Commissioner-designate Benninghoven’s approval of the “North Central Coast IPA” was the deciding vote. Senate confirmation is required of all State Fish & Game Commission nominees, and Senate hearings about the Benninghoven appointment should begin at once! It’s as if an unconfirmed Supreme Court nominee had put on official robes and cast the deciding vote for a plan their employer had ordered them to push through.
This vote scornfully ignored the years of work by North Central Coast tribes, fishermen, and abalone divers to make their own plan for marine protected areas, to better suit local needs. Now North Coast ocean food providers are being encouraged by MLAPI staff to raise money and spend hundreds of hours making our own plan. Are we window-dressing for fascism?
We, the people of California, could really use the help of the legislature now . If unchecked, fisheries fascism will move to privately-funded guards and surveillance technology keeping people from taking food from California public waters and intertidal zones. Commissioner Michael Sutton said on August 5 that the Blue Ribbon Task Force estimates that enforcement of new reserves will cost $11 million a year, with two-thirds of the cost of guards coming from private funding sources, not California state money.
The California legislature could suspend the MLAPI at any time by de-funding it. All the North Coast county supervisors, many city governments, tribes and community members have contacted Resorces Secretary Mike Chrisman, asking Secretary Chrisman to suspend the MLAPI process.
Chrisman’s answer was the Benninghoven appointment. The whole North Coast community is being tormented and distressed by this fascist attack on ocean food providers!
The California State Legislature is the people’s next line of defense against MLAPI fisheries fascism. I believe it’s time for all of us who want to nip facsism in the bud to contact Senator Patricia Wiggins, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, and any other California legislators we know. We need immediate suspension of the MLAPI process. We need hearings on the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999, and on the “memorandum of understanding” which gives all power to the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation.
The longer we, the people of California, let this MLAPI fisheries fascism run, the more damage it will do to people, environments, and democratic public process in California.
by John Lewallen, Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company
“I have looked fascism in the face,” my wife Barbara said, when we came out of the August 5 Fish & Game Commission hearing. The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI) has brought fascism to California’s public fisheries regulatory process. If we can look this private-foundation takeover of public process in the face now, we may be able to stop it in its early phases.
Fascism’s first target in California is independent ocean food providers operating in clean, wild ocean ecosystems. A group of oil-company lobbyists, marina developers, and advocates of “ecosystem management” by removing human ocean food providers, have hijacked the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999. The MLAPI has completely shaped the 1999 Act into a force it was never intended to be, a means not of protecting fisheries but of managing people.
With the sudden August 1 appointment of lobbyist Donald Benninghoven to the State Fish & Game Commission, an unconstitutional appointment made by Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman with the Governor out-of-state, the private-money takeover of the commission became complete. Along with Commissioners Sutton and Rogers, the Blue Ribbon Task Force running the privately-funded MLAPI is sure of a three-vote majority to adopt any South Coast or North Coast marine protected areas they want.
Commissioner-designate Benninghoven’s conflict of interest is shockingly blatant: Benninghoven was a leading member of the privately-funded MLAPI Blue Ribbon Task Force that created the controversial plan for huge, permanent closures of fisheries and intertidal subsistence-harvesting on the North Central Coast.
Commissioner-designate Benninghoven’s approval of the “North Central Coast IPA” was the deciding vote. Senate confirmation is required of all State Fish & Game Commission nominees, and Senate hearings about the Benninghoven appointment should begin at once! It’s as if an unconfirmed Supreme Court nominee had put on official robes and cast the deciding vote for a plan their employer had ordered them to push through.
This vote scornfully ignored the years of work by North Central Coast tribes, fishermen, and abalone divers to make their own plan for marine protected areas, to better suit local needs. Now North Coast ocean food providers are being encouraged by MLAPI staff to raise money and spend hundreds of hours making our own plan. Are we window-dressing for fascism?
We, the people of California, could really use the help of the legislature now . If unchecked, fisheries fascism will move to privately-funded guards and surveillance technology keeping people from taking food from California public waters and intertidal zones. Commissioner Michael Sutton said on August 5 that the Blue Ribbon Task Force estimates that enforcement of new reserves will cost $11 million a year, with two-thirds of the cost of guards coming from private funding sources, not California state money.
The California legislature could suspend the MLAPI at any time by de-funding it. All the North Coast county supervisors, many city governments, tribes and community members have contacted Resorces Secretary Mike Chrisman, asking Secretary Chrisman to suspend the MLAPI process.
Chrisman’s answer was the Benninghoven appointment. The whole North Coast community is being tormented and distressed by this fascist attack on ocean food providers!
The California State Legislature is the people’s next line of defense against MLAPI fisheries fascism. I believe it’s time for all of us who want to nip facsism in the bud to contact Senator Patricia Wiggins, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, and any other California legislators we know. We need immediate suspension of the MLAPI process. We need hearings on the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999, and on the “memorandum of understanding” which gives all power to the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation.
The longer we, the people of California, let this MLAPI fisheries fascism run, the more damage it will do to people, environments, and democratic public process in California.
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08/27/09
Seaweed Rebellion: Fucus News
First a Big Big Thank you is due the Lands Commission which in May of this year denied the Governor’s Plan to Drill off Santa Barbara Coast The state panel voted 2-0 to reject a request to overturn its January decision of same. While the Tranquillon Ridge PXP Project was touted as bringing Oil Interests and Enviros and the Santa Barbara Community together, The Enviros finally bailed at the 11th hour. It just wasn't true.
And the old retired guard of GOO, the 1969 “Get Oil Out” Santa Barbara Group -formed after the 1969 Spill, never supported the compromise.
http://www.getoilout.org/retro.html
http://www.thedailysound.com/012809Oil
http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/060109_lands_commission_denies_governors_plan/
PXP's plan involved slant drilling from Platform Irene on OCS-P 441 in federal waters to access oil in Californian state waters.
This unique project, which 'had' a broad range of support, allowed Plains Exploration & Production (PXP), to access offshore oil and gas in state waters from an existing platform four miles off the Santa Barbara County coast. Arnold's intent was to balance the budget on the back of our coasts...and all Santa Barbara County residents.
Risks to the coast in federal waters (OCS) are only magnified in the state coastal sanctuary, which includes Santa Barbara beaches and tidepools.
"And Lt. Governor Garamendi is absolutely correct: we allow our coasts to be bought in Santa Barbara, then the three areas now slated for new federal leases under review by Interior Secretary Salazar, Santa Maria, Oceanside-Capistrano, and Point Arena Basins, will have their business plan written for them by Environmental Defense Center."
Wild Heritage Planners
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/may/14/tranquillon-ridge-project-returns/
The MLPA-I is the Back Door to Oil (Onshore Facilities) on the North Coast
http://www.astral-arts.com/oilthebackdoor.html
And now bending over beside the river of turbidity and commotion engineered by the obvious railroad job that the MLPA-Initiative has become, the Blue Ribbon Task Farce (BRTF) continues on it's own understanding of (the ever changing MOU) with the State, or maybe it is just with Mike Chrisman the Resources Secretary!
Creation of a BRTF was initially stipulated in a 2004 memorandum of understanding (MOU) to which the California Resources Agency, DFG, and Resources Legacy Fund Foundation were parties. The MOU created a public-private partnership, known as the MLPA Initiative, to help the state implement the MLPA. One element of the initiative was a pilot project along the central coast (Pigeon Point, San Mateo County to Point Conception, Santa Barbara County).
A second MOU was signed in December 2006 for the purpose of continuing the public-private partnership, including a task force, in the north central coast (Alder Creek in Mendocino County to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County),
And an amendment to the second MOU continues the partnership through the south coast study region (Point Conception to the California-Mexico border in San Diego County, including offshore islands), through the north coast study region (California-Oregon border in Del Norte County to Alder Creek) and to begin planning in the San Francisco Bay study region (Golden Gate Bridge to Carquinez Bridge).
Term: Each member of the task force shall serve for the duration of the MLPA South Coast Project, through December 2009, or until relieved of duties. Each member shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary.
The MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force October 23-24, 2004 Meeting Summary December 23, 2004 shows:
A BRTF member asked about the involvement of California State Parks in MLPA.
Response: MLPA requires that State Parks have a seat on the science team, and they will be involved in discussions about and designation of marine parks.
And this piece confirms a timeframe.
The Mandate of the Marine Life Protection Act Ryan Broddrick, Director, California Department of Fish and Game
Summary of main points: MPA networks will be in place statewide by 2011. The science advisory team will be appointed by mid-November. The Department of Fish and Game will seek a broad group of science advisors from across the nation. Six members of the science team will be a sub-team for the central coast. The Science Team will be more than ecological and fishery scientists: social and economic scientists will also be included. One major goal of the initiative is to obtain support from stakeholders. The task force will provide direction on how to gain public involvement.
A BRTF member asked for the decision-making process to be clarified. Response: the BRTF will make recommendations to the Department of Fish and Game, which will exercise independent judgment in determining what to submit to the Fish and Game Commission. The commission ultimately decides on the content of the Master Plan Framework.
The briefing documents, California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative: Conceptual Overview and Charter of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, were summarized for BRTF members.
A BRTF member expressed concern about the short timeline for deadlines. Response: professional staff will be starting soon and hopefully deadlines will not be moved. The initiative partners want to see the deadlines met.
A BRTF member asked about the relative importance and efficacy of management tools in the chest—MPAs versus traditional fisheries management methods. Response: Fisheries have declined under traditional methods. Unlike traditional methods, MPAs are long-term, more comprehensive, and move beyond single-species management. There is scientific consensus that marine reserves will have strong effects within their boundaries, but how MPAs will affect fisheries is less well known. Therefore, we need to use MPAs in concert with other fisheries management tools.
A BRTF member asked whether the MLPA focuses on more than fisheries management—ecosystem management. Response: the MLPA mandates ecosystem management. Fisheries management now does include a spatial aspect but where fisheries management and MPAs interact is not well understood.
And recently the revolving door between the BRTF and the Fish & Game Commission led to the appointment of Don Benninghoven to the Commission in time for a 3-2 vote (along with Rogers and Sutton) to Ban Indians, Seaweed Harvesters From Traditional Areas in Sonoma and Mendocino County on August 5th 2009.
On Thursday morning, immediately after the August 5th hearing, Secretary for Natural Resources Mike Chrisman selected Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the CEO for the Western States Petroleum Association to chair the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Farce for the remainder of the MLPA South Project Effective immediately!
Fish & Game Commissioners Dan Richards and Jim Kellogg did not get a chance to "vote for 2XA". They put forward a motion to suspend the implementation of the regulations until funding is available and studies are completed in the existing reserves in south-central California. This motion failed 3-2. Commissioner Richard Rogers then made a motion to approve the "Preferred Alternative" which passed with Don Benninghoven and Mike Sutton voting "Yea" (and Kellogg and Richards voting "Absolutely Not"). The entire meeting can be viewed at http://www.slo-span.org (California Fish & Game Commission, August 5th, 2009.)
HEADLINES
August 1, 2009 (Friday) 4 days previous to the 080509 hearing were that California Fish and Game Commission President Cindy Gustafson Resigns:
http://californiafisheriescoalition.blogspot.com/2009/08/fish-and-game-commission-president.html
Cindy Gustafson not only was president of the state Fish and Game Commission, but she also was considered a swing vote on a five-member panel that faces some critical votes regarding California's resources and had once before asked “are we just a rubber stamp for the BRTF”.
But by Friday August 1st, quite suddenly, Gustafson resigned her appointed post after being advised to do so by the state Attorney General's office.
The Fort Bragg City Council has authored a letter stating the BRTF may not be a legal requirement under the original law, but if so, then there needs to be local representation.
And so we are left with ominous signs from Implementation of the MLPA - Initiative in Southern California
A good accounting and historical perspective of the MLPA-I process resides across several web-sites. Most are fisheries related, and provide localized view of current resource protections, MLPA-I impacts, the lies and runaway train momentum of the “process”. Northern California is all rough seas so far. Having heard extensive testimony, outrage, and being the 4th region to be processed through area closures, the North Coast is not an easy catch.
California Fisheries Coalition (CFC) MLPA North Coast - Fisherman to Chrisman: Shame On You
http://mlpanorth.blogspot.com/2009/06/fisherman-to-chrisman-shame-on-you.html
June was the month Mendocino County got the wake up call at the Point Arena “Fisheries Reality Tour”
CFC June, 2009, the month in review.
http://californiafisheriescoalition.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
Sonoma County Abalone Network
http://www.abalonenetwork.org/
The first lawsuit against the process:
Coastside Fishing Club
and
http://diver.net/bbs/posts001/59769.shtml
American Albacore
http://www.americanalbacore.com/html/californiafisheriescoalition.html
The saga of Munitz and Seidl
http://www.jailhurwitz.com/sevensins.html
Privatization Timespan:
Going Beyond Land & Real Estate Acquisition – Education & Governance Reform
Barry Munitz, Dr John Seidl, Govenor Gray Davis, Ivan Boevsky, MAXXAM, Pacific Lumber, ENRON, Natomas Oil, CellNet, MyHomeKey, Senator Barry Keene, Center For Conflict Resolution (EPA), Nature Conservancy, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, J. P. Getty Trust, Packard Foundation...
How is it that the Captains of Industry – who found every way imaginable to loot not only the Resource Commons held in Public Trust, but also workers pensions and savings, leaving untold economic havoc in the wake of their discretion (often) cloaked in behind closed door arrangements, are now Trustees and Chairs of Foundations of Philanthropy.
These very same once-upon-a-time, Corporate Presidents, CEO's, and Vice-Presidents of many now bankrupt profit system corporate modeled publicly traded companies and Federally Insured Banks and Savings and Loan Institutions, Pension Funds, Energy Schemes
FROM LOOTING PACIFIC LUMBER AND THE REDWOODS OF N. CALIFORNIA TO THE ART AND CULTURE LANDSCAPE OF L.A.... WHAT'S NEXT? The last Public Commons held in Trust.
GLOBAL PHILANTROPHY FORUM in 2001 Dr JOHN M. “MICK” SEIDL
Chief Program Officer, Environment, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
As head of the Foundation’s Environmental Program, Dr. Seidl oversaw the Foundation’s efforts to protect biodiversity and intact natural ecosystems across the globe (The Nature Conservancy, & The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation).
The word “Initiative” is right out of the Funding Program of the Moore Foundation.
Barry Munitz was recently fired from the Getty Trust causing review nationwide of private foundations and Philanthrophy.
Barry Munitz held Gray Davis' hand as he signed into law the MLPA. The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and the 'private foundation' backed 'Initiative' - the (MLPA-I) that is attempting to implement a privatized version of the public law AB993 from 1999.
Like Utah Phillips said to a graduating class of bright young minds: "You are about to be called America's most valuable natural resource. Have you seen what they do to valuable natural resources? Have you seen a stripmine, have you seen a clearcut in the forest.They're gonna stripmine your soul, they're gonna clearcut your best thoughts for the sake of profit unless you learn to resist, cause the profit system follows the path of least resistance."
Tomas DiFiore
Seaweed Rebellion
Astral Arts Mendocino
Seaweed Rebellion: Fucus News
First a Big Big Thank you is due the Lands Commission which in May of this year denied the Governor’s Plan to Drill off Santa Barbara Coast The state panel voted 2-0 to reject a request to overturn its January decision of same. While the Tranquillon Ridge PXP Project was touted as bringing Oil Interests and Enviros and the Santa Barbara Community together, The Enviros finally bailed at the 11th hour. It just wasn't true.
And the old retired guard of GOO, the 1969 “Get Oil Out” Santa Barbara Group -formed after the 1969 Spill, never supported the compromise.
http://www.getoilout.org/retro.html
http://www.thedailysound.com/012809Oil
http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/060109_lands_commission_denies_governors_plan/
PXP's plan involved slant drilling from Platform Irene on OCS-P 441 in federal waters to access oil in Californian state waters.
This unique project, which 'had' a broad range of support, allowed Plains Exploration & Production (PXP), to access offshore oil and gas in state waters from an existing platform four miles off the Santa Barbara County coast. Arnold's intent was to balance the budget on the back of our coasts...and all Santa Barbara County residents.
Risks to the coast in federal waters (OCS) are only magnified in the state coastal sanctuary, which includes Santa Barbara beaches and tidepools.
"And Lt. Governor Garamendi is absolutely correct: we allow our coasts to be bought in Santa Barbara, then the three areas now slated for new federal leases under review by Interior Secretary Salazar, Santa Maria, Oceanside-Capistrano, and Point Arena Basins, will have their business plan written for them by Environmental Defense Center."
Wild Heritage Planners
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/may/14/tranquillon-ridge-project-returns/
The MLPA-I is the Back Door to Oil (Onshore Facilities) on the North Coast
http://www.astral-arts.com/oilthebackdoor.html
And now bending over beside the river of turbidity and commotion engineered by the obvious railroad job that the MLPA-Initiative has become, the Blue Ribbon Task Farce (BRTF) continues on it's own understanding of (the ever changing MOU) with the State, or maybe it is just with Mike Chrisman the Resources Secretary!
Creation of a BRTF was initially stipulated in a 2004 memorandum of understanding (MOU) to which the California Resources Agency, DFG, and Resources Legacy Fund Foundation were parties. The MOU created a public-private partnership, known as the MLPA Initiative, to help the state implement the MLPA. One element of the initiative was a pilot project along the central coast (Pigeon Point, San Mateo County to Point Conception, Santa Barbara County).
A second MOU was signed in December 2006 for the purpose of continuing the public-private partnership, including a task force, in the north central coast (Alder Creek in Mendocino County to Pigeon Point in San Mateo County),
And an amendment to the second MOU continues the partnership through the south coast study region (Point Conception to the California-Mexico border in San Diego County, including offshore islands), through the north coast study region (California-Oregon border in Del Norte County to Alder Creek) and to begin planning in the San Francisco Bay study region (Golden Gate Bridge to Carquinez Bridge).
Term: Each member of the task force shall serve for the duration of the MLPA South Coast Project, through December 2009, or until relieved of duties. Each member shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary.
The MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force October 23-24, 2004 Meeting Summary December 23, 2004 shows:
A BRTF member asked about the involvement of California State Parks in MLPA.
Response: MLPA requires that State Parks have a seat on the science team, and they will be involved in discussions about and designation of marine parks.
And this piece confirms a timeframe.
The Mandate of the Marine Life Protection Act Ryan Broddrick, Director, California Department of Fish and Game
Summary of main points: MPA networks will be in place statewide by 2011. The science advisory team will be appointed by mid-November. The Department of Fish and Game will seek a broad group of science advisors from across the nation. Six members of the science team will be a sub-team for the central coast. The Science Team will be more than ecological and fishery scientists: social and economic scientists will also be included. One major goal of the initiative is to obtain support from stakeholders. The task force will provide direction on how to gain public involvement.
A BRTF member asked for the decision-making process to be clarified. Response: the BRTF will make recommendations to the Department of Fish and Game, which will exercise independent judgment in determining what to submit to the Fish and Game Commission. The commission ultimately decides on the content of the Master Plan Framework.
The briefing documents, California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative: Conceptual Overview and Charter of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, were summarized for BRTF members.
A BRTF member expressed concern about the short timeline for deadlines. Response: professional staff will be starting soon and hopefully deadlines will not be moved. The initiative partners want to see the deadlines met.
A BRTF member asked about the relative importance and efficacy of management tools in the chest—MPAs versus traditional fisheries management methods. Response: Fisheries have declined under traditional methods. Unlike traditional methods, MPAs are long-term, more comprehensive, and move beyond single-species management. There is scientific consensus that marine reserves will have strong effects within their boundaries, but how MPAs will affect fisheries is less well known. Therefore, we need to use MPAs in concert with other fisheries management tools.
A BRTF member asked whether the MLPA focuses on more than fisheries management—ecosystem management. Response: the MLPA mandates ecosystem management. Fisheries management now does include a spatial aspect but where fisheries management and MPAs interact is not well understood.
And recently the revolving door between the BRTF and the Fish & Game Commission led to the appointment of Don Benninghoven to the Commission in time for a 3-2 vote (along with Rogers and Sutton) to Ban Indians, Seaweed Harvesters From Traditional Areas in Sonoma and Mendocino County on August 5th 2009.
On Thursday morning, immediately after the August 5th hearing, Secretary for Natural Resources Mike Chrisman selected Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the CEO for the Western States Petroleum Association to chair the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Farce for the remainder of the MLPA South Project Effective immediately!
Fish & Game Commissioners Dan Richards and Jim Kellogg did not get a chance to "vote for 2XA". They put forward a motion to suspend the implementation of the regulations until funding is available and studies are completed in the existing reserves in south-central California. This motion failed 3-2. Commissioner Richard Rogers then made a motion to approve the "Preferred Alternative" which passed with Don Benninghoven and Mike Sutton voting "Yea" (and Kellogg and Richards voting "Absolutely Not"). The entire meeting can be viewed at http://www.slo-span.org (California Fish & Game Commission, August 5th, 2009.)
HEADLINES
August 1, 2009 (Friday) 4 days previous to the 080509 hearing were that California Fish and Game Commission President Cindy Gustafson Resigns:
http://californiafisheriescoalition.blogspot.com/2009/08/fish-and-game-commission-president.html
Cindy Gustafson not only was president of the state Fish and Game Commission, but she also was considered a swing vote on a five-member panel that faces some critical votes regarding California's resources and had once before asked “are we just a rubber stamp for the BRTF”.
But by Friday August 1st, quite suddenly, Gustafson resigned her appointed post after being advised to do so by the state Attorney General's office.
The Fort Bragg City Council has authored a letter stating the BRTF may not be a legal requirement under the original law, but if so, then there needs to be local representation.
And so we are left with ominous signs from Implementation of the MLPA - Initiative in Southern California
A good accounting and historical perspective of the MLPA-I process resides across several web-sites. Most are fisheries related, and provide localized view of current resource protections, MLPA-I impacts, the lies and runaway train momentum of the “process”. Northern California is all rough seas so far. Having heard extensive testimony, outrage, and being the 4th region to be processed through area closures, the North Coast is not an easy catch.
California Fisheries Coalition (CFC) MLPA North Coast - Fisherman to Chrisman: Shame On You
http://mlpanorth.blogspot.com/2009/06/fisherman-to-chrisman-shame-on-you.html
June was the month Mendocino County got the wake up call at the Point Arena “Fisheries Reality Tour”
CFC June, 2009, the month in review.
http://californiafisheriescoalition.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
Sonoma County Abalone Network
http://www.abalonenetwork.org/
The first lawsuit against the process:
Coastside Fishing Club
and
http://diver.net/bbs/posts001/59769.shtml
American Albacore
http://www.americanalbacore.com/html/californiafisheriescoalition.html
The saga of Munitz and Seidl
http://www.jailhurwitz.com/sevensins.html
Privatization Timespan:
Going Beyond Land & Real Estate Acquisition – Education & Governance Reform
Barry Munitz, Dr John Seidl, Govenor Gray Davis, Ivan Boevsky, MAXXAM, Pacific Lumber, ENRON, Natomas Oil, CellNet, MyHomeKey, Senator Barry Keene, Center For Conflict Resolution (EPA), Nature Conservancy, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, J. P. Getty Trust, Packard Foundation...
How is it that the Captains of Industry – who found every way imaginable to loot not only the Resource Commons held in Public Trust, but also workers pensions and savings, leaving untold economic havoc in the wake of their discretion (often) cloaked in behind closed door arrangements, are now Trustees and Chairs of Foundations of Philanthropy.
These very same once-upon-a-time, Corporate Presidents, CEO's, and Vice-Presidents of many now bankrupt profit system corporate modeled publicly traded companies and Federally Insured Banks and Savings and Loan Institutions, Pension Funds, Energy Schemes
FROM LOOTING PACIFIC LUMBER AND THE REDWOODS OF N. CALIFORNIA TO THE ART AND CULTURE LANDSCAPE OF L.A.... WHAT'S NEXT? The last Public Commons held in Trust.
GLOBAL PHILANTROPHY FORUM in 2001 Dr JOHN M. “MICK” SEIDL
Chief Program Officer, Environment, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
As head of the Foundation’s Environmental Program, Dr. Seidl oversaw the Foundation’s efforts to protect biodiversity and intact natural ecosystems across the globe (The Nature Conservancy, & The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation).
The word “Initiative” is right out of the Funding Program of the Moore Foundation.
Barry Munitz was recently fired from the Getty Trust causing review nationwide of private foundations and Philanthrophy.
Barry Munitz held Gray Davis' hand as he signed into law the MLPA. The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and the 'private foundation' backed 'Initiative' - the (MLPA-I) that is attempting to implement a privatized version of the public law AB993 from 1999.
Like Utah Phillips said to a graduating class of bright young minds: "You are about to be called America's most valuable natural resource. Have you seen what they do to valuable natural resources? Have you seen a stripmine, have you seen a clearcut in the forest.They're gonna stripmine your soul, they're gonna clearcut your best thoughts for the sake of profit unless you learn to resist, cause the profit system follows the path of least resistance."
Tomas DiFiore
Seaweed Rebellion
Astral Arts Mendocino
For more information:
http://www.astral-arts.com
The governor is a follower of Milton Friedman brand economics. Friedman believed in a kind of economic holy trinity-deregulation, massive cuts in social spending and privatization. If Arnold believes that using government funds to support fisheries is 'social spending' then the fishery is doomed. Friedman's followers like to use times of hardship to allow easy corporate privatizing. Biological life does not fit into Friedman's economic theory so his followers simply ignore it. If they get in the way-run over them. It's like having a frontier economy all over again but now run by corporations. Remember the passenger pigeon which existed in the billions. It was hunted to extinction by people seeking economic advantage after the bison were nearing economic extinction. The businessmen I have met have no idea that natural systems have limitations and don't seem to care.
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