Are you satisfied with ongoing efforts to combat the growing sedimentation of the Morro Bay National Estuary, its pollution with bacteria, the toxic and heavy metal pollution and other major threats it faces?
The public is invited to express its views when the Morro Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) opens up its management plan for review on Thursday, April 14, at the Morro Bay Community Center between 6 and 8 p.m.
The purpose of the meeting is to update the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), which is the MBNEP's guide to protecting and restoring the estuary and watershed. It was adopted in 2000.
Efforts will focus on identifying new issues facing the Estuary and watershed that were not adequately captured 10 years ago, revising action plans that may be out-of-date or do not reflect the best solutions now available and obtaining community opinion regarding which issues need greater technical review and revision, the MBNEP website says.
The CCMP describes the Estuary's resources and major threats:
1. Accelerated sedimentation of the Estuary.
2. Bacterial pollution.
3. Loss of habitat.
4. Reduced fresh water flow.
5. Loss of steelhead.
6. Toxic and heavy metal pollution.
The MBNEP staff is planning to present a summary of the status of current CCMP efforts and some ideas for new or revised actions.
Also, after the meeting, a few technical groups will be convened to advise the CCMP update on specific new issues or actions or new topic areas to be addressed, such as climate change adaptation and low impact development. The groups will meet once or twice. Volunteers will be contacted after the topic areas are finalized.
The MBNEP web site states that an up-to-date management plan is required to continue MBNEP’s participation in the National Estuary Program, an Environmental Protection Agency partnership program that includes 28 estuaries across the country.
