OPC Strategic Plan: Protecting Ocean and Coastal Resources in California, Lecture notes of Decision Making

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CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL

Five-Year Strategic Plan 2012 – 2017 A Vision for Our Ocean and Coast

PHOTO: JOHN MEYER

A Vision for Our

Ocean and Coast

Five-Year Strategic Plan

CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL

This strategic plan was prepared under the direction of: Brian Baird, Assistant Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy, California Natural Resources Agency Amber Mace, Executive Director, OPC John Laird SECRETARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, COUNCIL CHAIR Linda Adams SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (THROUGH JULY 2011) Matt Rodriquez SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (BEGAN AUGUST 2011) Gavin Newsom LT. GOVERNOR, STATE LANDS COMMISSION CHAIR (2011) John Chiang STATE CONTROLLER, STATE LANDS COMMISSION CHAIR (2012) Fran Pavley STATE SENATOR Toni Atkins STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER Geraldine Knatz PUBLIC MEMBER Susan Golding PUBLIC MEMBER COVER ART: VINCE STAMEY (LEFT) AND SCOTT TOEWS (RIGHT)

INTRODUCTION The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) was created in 2004 to help protect, conserve, and maintain healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems and the economies they support. The OPC works with diverse interests and provides the leadership needed to meet the accelerating and complex challenges of our time as set forth in the California Ocean Protection Act (COPA) (SB 1319, Burton 2004).^1 The strategic plan that guided the OPC’s first five years was deliberately broad and reflected a more generous fiscal climate in which voter-initiated funding was available to support OPC projects. The Council rapidly launched diverse actions and made substantial investments to address critical issues and advance needed policy changes (see Exhibit 1 below). Yet significant challenges remain. Moreover, with fewer available funds and a smaller workforce, California’s agencies must now manage coastal and ocean resources with ever greater effectiveness and efficiency. This new strategic plan for fiscal year 2012/2013- fiscal year 2016/2017 proposes OPC action in areas of critical need where the Council’s involvement can yield tangible progress and have the greatest impact. The OPC will focus on five areas over the next five years: A. Science-based decision-making B. Climate change C. Sustainable fisheries and marine ecosystems D. Coastal and ocean impacts from land-based sources E. Existing and emerging ocean uses

THE CHALLENGE

Globally, broad agreement exists that ocean stressors such as climate change, historic overfishing, physical disturbance, and pollution are interacting synergistically— with effects greater than their expected combined individual impacts—to harm our oceans. The threats are mounting, and the consequences will be dire unless we continue to take bold action. 4 PHOTO: CINDY TUCEY (^1) Public Resources Code Section 35500 et seq.

5 INTRODUCTION This plan was developed through a consultative and collaborative process involving the Ocean Protection Council members, the OPC Steering Committee, the OPC Science Advisory Team (OPC- SAT), relevant state and federal agencies, tribes and tribal communities, stakeholders, and the interested public. Public input was invited through three public workshops as well as two formal public comment periods. The OPC formally adopted this strategic plan on February 17, 2012. In undertaking this strategic plan, the OPC intends to work in close partnership with the many state agencies that manage ocean and coastal resources as well as its federal, tribal, academic, nongovernmental, and private sector partners. The goals, objectives, and actions outlined in this document are designed to reflect the state of California’s priorities and interests. They also are consistent with the National Ocean Policy adopted by President Obama in his July 2010 Executive Order No. 14547 and the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force.^2

THE OCEAN PROTECTION

COUNCIL IS PREPARED TO

MEET THE CHALLENGE

We must continue to meet the challenges ahead with foresight, leadership, sound science, and a deep commitment to making tangible progress. In California, the OPC is positioned to play the critical role of strategically deploying state assets, coordinating across sectors, and productively engaging the state’s extraordinary scientific community. California’s leadership in ocean management is a model for other states, the nation, and the world. (^2) Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force July 19, 2010 (The White House Council on Environmental Quality). www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/OPTF_FinalRecs.pdf. PHOTO: SCOTT GABARA

7 PLAN CONTEXT

• Identify and recommend to the Legislature changes in state law and policy needed to achieve the goals of COPA.
• Recommend to the Governor and the Legislature actions the State should take to encourage needed changes in federal law and policy. During its initial years, the OPC successfully raised government and citizen awareness of and attention to ocean issues in California. In particular, the OPC demonstrated the benefits of heightened cooperation between the state’s two overarching environmental agencies, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency. Accomplishments of the OPC include: initiating new conservation and science-based policies, bringing agencies together to improve state ocean protections, and funding and leading innovative projects that enhance understanding of ocean ecosystems and resource management. Specific accomplishments are listed in Exhibit 1 below. It is widely recognized that through these initiatives, the OPC has helped maintain and build California’s role as a national leader in ocean policy. In 2009 the OPC commissioned an independent evaluation^6 of its performance during its first five years. The evaluation highlighted significant accomplishments and also provided useful guidance for the future. One major recommendation was that the OPC could enhance its effectiveness by improving its strategic focus. This strategic plan builds on this and other recommendations in the evaluation. Consistent with those recommendations, during the next five years, the OPC will:
• Emphasize issues or policies that are consistent with COPA and for which the OPC is strategically suited to have a significant impact.
• Clearly define desired outcomes of the OPC actions and expenditures in order to evaluate and communicate successes.
• Ensure transparency and accountability by improving outreach to other agencies and partners.
• Increase inter-agency coordination and collaboration, and provide initial funding investments for key projects.
• Ensure durability of OPC’s previous investments and policy innovations and work to expand the acceptance of those actions.
• Enhance the use of science to inform decision-making to ensure sound decisions. PHOTO: EDWIN HACKING (^6) Ocean Protection Council White Paper, “Towards Improving the California Ocean Protection Council” (prepared for the OPC by NewPoint Group, October 2010).

8

Exhibit 1: KEY OPC ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING FIRST FIVE YEARS

SEAFLOOR AND SHORELINE MAPPING

Led efforts to complete the first statewide map of the seafloor and developed a national model for seafloor mapping. The OPC’s $15 million investment attracted an additional $14.5 million for implementing the project. A shoreline mapping effort is now underway to create a seamless onshore-offshore high resolution elevation map of the state’s 1,100-mile coastal zone.

OCEAN OBSERVING – HIGH FREQUENCY RADAR

Spearheaded a collaborative statewide program to monitor and map the surface currents off the coast of California, the Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program (COCMP). The resulting network of more than 50 shore-based HF Radar (high frequency radar) instruments has provided data useful to oil spill response, wastewater discharge monitoring, beach water quality monitoring, plume tracking at urban rivers during storm events, search and rescue efforts, climate change analysis, harmful algal bloom (HAB) tracking and forecasting, and coastal inundation modeling.

SCIENCE INTEGRATION

Established a team of internationally renowned scientists to provide scientific expertise directly to OPC decision-making, and codified the integration of independent science to support decisions.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION

Led the development of the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy for the ocean and coast. Followed- up by coordinating development of ground-breaking guidance on sea level rise by a multi-agency team. Continues to coordinate a statewide team to begin implementing these strategies.

MARINE DEBRIS

Brought widespread attention to the problem of marine debris and spurred statewide legislation and local government action to reduce debris pollution.

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS)

Launched a cutting-edge monitoring program that will support the long-term adaptive management of the state’s new network of MPAs and result in improved ocean ecosystem understanding and management.

INNOVATIVE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

Invested over $8 million in innovative approaches for sustaining California fisheries through community- based collaborations, market approaches, and building capacity and data for improved fishery management.

DIRECTED SCIENTIFIC STUDIES AND RESEARCH

Funded objective technical reports to inform state marine management issues such as decommissioning of offshore oil and gas platforms, reducing harmful impacts of invasive species, and once-through cooling.

ONCE-THROUGH COOLING (OTC)

Funded studies and adopted a resolution regarding the need to phase out OTC in coastal waters. The State Water Resources Control Board followed with a policy requiring cooling water intake structures to reflect the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental impact. As a result of these policy efforts, many utilities are planning to re-power without OTC over the next decade.

THE OPC’S STRATEGIC APPROACH continue initiatives begun during its first five years that are consistent with this strategic plan. The Council also recognizes that it must remain agile and responsive to emerging issues and innovative ideas. The following criteria guided selection of these issue areas: SIGNIFICANCE – The issue has a significant effect on the condition and sustainability of coastal and ocean ecosystems and coastal communities. CONSISTENCY – Required actions fulfill the OPC goals and purpose and match the OPC core roles and statutory authorities. TIMELINESS – The issue has developed to a point where the OPC can advance the issue or resolve the problem. URGENCY – Action in the near-term is critical to improve management and protection and reduce the threat to state resources. PROBABLE IMPACTS – The OPC can make a critical, tangible, and lasting difference. The cost-benefit ratio is favorable. NEED – The OPC’s core roles are required for effective state action. SOUND SCIENCE – The OPC’s actions will be based on sound science and vetted by independent reviewers. The objectives and actions that appear in this strategic action plan were selected and evaluated against the criteria listed above as well as the additional criteria listed below: DURATION OF THE OPC’S INVESTMENT – The OPC will act as a catalyst for projects and programs and primarily will fund initiatives that eventually will be self-sustaining and do not require long-term ongoing OPC funds or staffing commitments for success. LEVERAGE PAST INVESTMENTS – In addition to funding new high priority initiatives, the OPC, where appropriate, will focus on projects that leverage previous investments, build on previous resolutions, and follow up on projects or actions that yielded the most effective results over the last five years. The OPC will continue engagement on specific projects or issues if ongoing work will result in significant, additional impact. PHOTO: SCOTT TOEWS 10

ACTION PLAN The sections below set out the OPC’s five-year strategy for using a science-based approach to address climate change, sustainable fisheries and ecosystem health, land-sea interactions, and existing and emerging ocean uses. Each articulates an overarching goal and key issues to be addressed. The plan identifies objectives for making tangible progress toward each goal as well as actions that the OPC anticipates undertaking. PHOTO: EMMA FIORI 11

geospatial information for coastal- and ocean- relevant decision-making. In 2011, the OPC assessed the functional and technical needs of California’s coastal and ocean related public agencies with a focus on their abilities to gather, manage, use, and share information and decision-support tools that support agencies’ mandate to consider ecosystem- based management in the coastal and ocean environment. A key finding of that study was that California lacks a coordinated statewide system for sharing and accessing coastal and ocean related geospatial information (maps, cadastral data, etc), which limits the ability of these agencies to use information for a variety of management needs. The OPC will continue to implement AB 2125 to improve access to and sharing of geospatial information among coastal and ocean related agencies and the public. For example, multi-agency access to California’s repository of geospatial data layers will support efforts to efficiently respond to an oil spill emergency. This need was reinforced by the 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil-spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Issue 1: Improving the Use and Sharing of Scientific and Geospatial Information Over the past five years, the state has made significant investments in the collection of scientific and geospatial information about the ocean, such as seafloor and shoreline mapping and sea-surface- current data. California now has a strong foundation of information to support decisions by managers in the years ahead. To fully realize the value of these investments requires the development of tools and frameworks that are useful and accessible by California’s policy makers and resource managers. For example, raw data files are often too large and unwieldy for most managers to use in daily applications; data must be converted into useful information products in order to enable regulatory and planning analyses. In 2010, the state legislature enacted Assembly Bill No. 2125 (AB 2125, Ruskin 2010), which requires the OPC and state agencies to cooperate in promoting state agencies’ use and sharing of scientific and PHOTO: USGS 13

A. SCIENCE-BASED DECISION-MAKING California has many components in place to advance this effort. In particular, the California Coastal and Marine Geospatial Working Group, co-chaired and facilitated by OPC staff, has identified and begun implementing projects to improve access and sharing of geospatial data for all agencies, stakeholders and the public. This technical working group is collaborating with California’s Geospatial Information Officer (GIO), CalGIS, and other regional and federal efforts. Objective 1.1: Provide leadership to ensure the availability and use of authoritative geospatial information in decision-making. PROPOSED ACTIONS

• Work with agencies, industry, NGOs, scientists, and other key stakeholders to implement COPA and AB 2125.
• Increase the availability of scientific and geospatial information products and analytical tools useful for informing policy and advancing ecosystem-based management.
• Compile and translate data into accessible information products that can be efficiently applied by coastal managers and decision- makers, as well as prospective permit applicants and the public.
• Continue to provide leadership on state technical working groups, such as the California Coastal and Marine Geospatial Working Group, to promote efficient communication and collaboration.
• Craft memoranda of understanding (MOUs) among partners, agencies, and others that encourage entities to support best practices, data sharing, and collaboration.
• Consider support for agencies to access data and integrate into improved decision-making. PHOTO: SCOTT TOEWS 14

16 Issue 3: Developing Strategies—and Building Institutional Capacity—to Incorporate Scientific Information into Management Decisions The OPC is directed to work with Ocean Science Trust and others to improve and manage constructive interactions between scientists and decision-makers. The OPC’s designation of the OST Executive Director as the OPC Science Advisor demonstrates the OPC’s commitment to incorporating independent science into decision-making in an open and transparent manner. OST’s independence from state government allows it to act as an impartial broker among policy- makers and managers and the scientific community. OST further benefits the state by leveraging non-state funding sources for supporting science initiatives that benefit California. OST engages with numerous science-based entities with similar missions such as the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), the Center for Ocean Solutions (COS), the California Water Quality Monitoring Council (CWQMC), and the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), among others, and is accountable to both the scientific community and the state. In addition, a key role for OST is management of the OPC-Science Advisory Team (OPC-SAT). The main mission of the OPC-SAT is to help ensure that sound science is applied to OPC policy recommendations and state agency decisions. The OPC-SAT is a model approach for effectively tapping into the rich scientific expertise available in California and beyond. The OPC will continue to work closely with OST and support the leadership role of the OPC-SAT to mobilize the scientific community to inform management decisions. Objective 3.1: Promote and encourage the institutional support, capacity, and leadership role of the OPC-SAT and harness the substantial scientific expertise within California and beyond to inform policy and management decisions. PROPOSED ACTIONS

• Work closely with OST and other partners to ensure that the outcomes of previously funded OPC research projects are effectively communicated to managers and, to the extent possible, meet their needs.
• Draw upon the OPC-SAT’s expertise to inform OPC policy recommendations, project proposals, and project deliverables (e.g., studies, reports, etc.).
• Support the OPC-SAT and promote its service to and coordination with other state and local agencies that would benefit from scientific expertise. PHOTO: JOHN MEYER

17 GOAL: Prepare for and reduce harmful impacts of climate change on coastal development and infrastructure, public health and safety, the economy, and ecosystems by encouraging adaptation to climate change and engaging decision makers at all levels of government. The changing climate is transforming California’s coast and ocean in unprecedented ways. In general, sea level is rising, storm waves are getting larger, temperatures are increasing, and precipitation and runoff are becoming more variable. The ocean is becoming more acidic as it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Other critical drivers of ocean conditions and productivity, such as ocean currents and upwelling, are also likely to change, but in uncertain ways. Scientists anticipate that California’s coastline and ecological communities will experience a variety of impacts from climate change, including increased flooding, erosion, changes in ocean (^7) See www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation. PHOTO: SANTA MONICA BAY KEEPER chemistry, and continued saltwater intrusion into groundwater aquifers. Without changes in sediment and land management, some wetlands will be lost as shorelines move inland in some areas. Ecological communities will change as species respond in different ways to increasing temperatures and acidification. Acidification will threaten some fisheries and aquaculture such as crabs, clams, mussels, and other species with calcareous shells. Animals and plants that are unable to move or adapt to new conditions may disappear. Bird and fish populations may shift in some areas due to changes in food availability.^7 These impacts will intensify over the coming decades and will pose a growing risk to the state as they degrade public health, threaten coastal development and infrastructure, reduce public access to the coast and bays, and impact fisheries, and ecosystem health. Understanding the magnitude of impacts to California’s coast and ocean can highlight the need for action to mitigate climate change. California must take pragmatic, tractable steps now to anticipate and reduce the likely harm. The state has already B. CLIMATE CHANGE

19 and implement coastal adaptation plans. The OPC should develop methods to highlight and publicize the most successful adaptation strategies and plans related to coastal flooding, inundation, habitat loss, and shoreline erosion caused by climate change and related sea-level rise. Objective 4.1: Improve knowledge and understanding of climate change impacts among state, regional, and local decision- makers. PROPOSED ACTIONS

• Facilitate regular, structured updates to the SLR Guidance Document as appropriate.
• Support development and dissemination of analyses that synthesize science and policy information about impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation options, possibly including a five- year update to the 2011 statewide vulnerability study coordinated by the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program.
• Promote the standardized collection and sharing of monitoring data related to coastal flooding, erosion, sea level rise, storm surges, wave heights, and related impacts. - Seek to ensure that coastal hazard maps are based upon the latest projections. - Highlight critical gaps in the available data and the implications of these gaps for decision-making and recommend measures to fill those gaps. Objective 4.2: Encourage the development and adoption of sea-level-rise adaptation strategies. PROPOSED ACTIONS
• Identify and recommend emerging “best” and innovative practices, such as model ordinances and habitat protection measures, and promote and support their implementation.
• Work with other entities to develop useful materials to improve adaptation planning and implementation tools and guidance for decision- makers at the local, regional, and state level.
• As appropriate, recommend changes in laws, regulations, guidance documents, and processes that will reduce risks and protect public resources related, for example, to tidal wetlands restoration and shoreline protection.
• As appropriate, directly consult with state agencies to ensure key plans—such as the Statewide Flood Management Planning Program—integrate planning for climate- related coastal flooding. Issue 5: Ecosystem Impacts of the Changing Climate There is a need to increase the availability of information about the likely impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on coastal and marine species and ecosystems and about the practical steps that might be taken now to plan for and adaptively manage marine resources as the changes increase. California’s networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) and areas of special biological significance (ASBS) provide a unique opportunity for detecting and improving understanding of the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on marine B. CLIMATE CHANGE PHOTO: DYLAN MCDANIEL

ecosystems and fisheries. Over the next five years, the OPC will draw on experts to obtain a better understanding of impacts to California’s marine biological resources from climate change and ocean acidification. An understanding is necessary for resource managers and policy makers to make progress in assessing and addressing this critical threat to the state’s fishery and marine conservation goals, as laid out in state laws such as the Marine Life Management Act and the Marine Life Protection Act. Objective 5.1: Provide for improved understanding of how changing climate and ocean chemistry will alter California’s ocean and coastal ecosystems and the benefits they produce. PROPOSED ACTIONS

• Promote and support the development and implementation of monitoring protocols that will provide policy and management relevant information.
• Provide coordination and support to synthesize current scientific understanding of how our marine and coastal ecosystems and ecological assemblages will change in the coming decades as the climate and ocean chemistry changes. Objective 5.2: Based on improved understanding of ocean acidification, identify opportunities to reduce impacts by modifying management approaches. PROPOSED ACTIONS - Support development of scenario-based analyses of the timing, magnitude, and possible impacts of acidification along the California coastline. - Work with existing entities such as the California Current Acidification Network (C-CAN) to convene experts from across federal, state, and local government, academia, NGOs, and the private sector to identify practical steps to address acidification impacts on fisheries and ecosystems. - Promote monitoring, data sharing, and data standardization that will provide information about past and projected acidification trends and its impact on biological resources in a form that is useful for policymaking or management. PHOTO: TOM FORD 20