Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT
M A R I N E   L I F E   P R O T E C T I O N   A C T
The California Resources Agency and California Department of Fish and Game have partnered with the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation in an initiative to achieve the goals of the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). The MLPA directs the state to design and manage a network of marine protected areas in order to, among other things, protect marine life and habitats, marine ecosystems, and marine natural heritage, as well as improve recreational, educational and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems.

U N D E R W A T E R   W I L D E R N E S S: Creating Marine Protected Areas - KQED QUEST
Marine Life Protection Act
Scientists, resource managers,
experts, stakeholders and
members of the public all play
important roles in guiding the
outcomes of this public-private
partnership.

The Marine Life Protection Act
may threaten the “rights” of
Tribal members to gather
traditional foods, shells, and/or
other artifacts used for cultural
and religious purposes from shore and inner tidal pools. 

With the input of a large group of stakeholders, two state agencies, the Resources Agency and the Department of Fish and Game, will be designating stretches of California coast line as “State Marine Protected Areas” (MPAs).  The MPAs will restrict human use and activity to protect marine habitats.  There are three main subcategories of MPAs with different levels of restrictions as listed below. 

State law does not differentiate between gathering techniques (i.e Native and non-native), nor does it make any exception for Native groups or people.  This is ironic because evidence has shown that traditional Native gathering techniques not only protect a habitat, but improve it. 

Many other techniques for gathering can severally destroy a habitat.  Right now, gathering and collecting of items is either open to all, or restricted to all.

There are three types of MPAs: state marine reserves, state marine parks, and state marine conservation areas, each with different rules about what activities can or cannot be done within each.
Marine Reserves - In general, do not allow any type of extractive activities (including fishing or kelp harvesting),

Marine Parks - do not allow any commercial extraction.
Marine Conservation Areas - do not allow some combination of commercial and/or recreational extraction.

The first MPA process has been completed in the Central Coast  and North Central Coast (NCC) area.

Native Tribes in general are represented by one appointee and an alternate appointee who sit on the large stakeholder group of about 28 people representing different interest groups. Although the public can not speak, they are allowed to attend stakeholder meetings. 

For more information, you can visit their website at



Effects MLPA will have on
North Central Coast Tribes:


  • When the final decisions are made many of the traditional fishing and gathering areas of the coastal tribes such as the Coast Miwok, Kashia Pomo and Manchester/Point Arena Pomo.





  • This means that many tribal people will have to find alternate gathering sites which are located in other family or tribes traditional gathering areas.





  • Some tribal people will not be able to get access to materials for ceremonial practices. Many shells which are used in ceremonial regalia will no longer be available.






  • The gathering of foods and sealife has been an integral part of native life, elders will no longer be able to pass down generations of fishing and gathering techniques and teachings.




  • These are just a few of the effects that the MLPA will have on tribes in the North Central Coast area. The MLPA is continuing to close coastal access to more tribes up and down the California coast.
M L P A   N E W S

North Coast tribes barge into MLPA meeting
John Driscoll/The Times-Standard
Posted: 07/22/2010 09:23:43 AM PDT
Updated: 07/22/2010 09:24:21 AM PDT

North Coast tribal
members again on
Wednesday forced
leaders of a meeting
on the controversial
Marine Life Protection
Act in Fort Bragg to
listen to American
Indian concerns about
infringing on traditional
gathering.



North Coast Native Tribes Unsure on Marine Life Protection Act
07/22/2010
California is implementing
a 1999 law that aims to
conserve the state's ocean
resources by setting up
protected areas along the
coast. But native tribes
worry that measures
imposed under the Marine Life Protection Act may prohibit them from using coastal resources in centuries-old traditions. Reporter: Lisa Morehouse






California Tribes stand together to protect rights at MLPA Meeting, Fort Bragg CA
07/21/2010



















REQUEST BY THE KASHIA BAND OF POMO INDIANS FOR EMERGENCY ACTION TO AMEND SUBSECTION 632(b)(11), TITLE 14, CCR: RE: STEWARTS POINT MARINE
Commission Approves Kashia Pomo Proposal to Amend Marine Reserve
by Dan Bacher

(Folsom) The California Fish and Game Commission today voted unanimously to approve an emergency regulation that will again allow the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians to harvest seaweed, shellfish and fish as they have done for thousands of years.

Under new regulations that went into effect on May 1 under the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, the tribe was banned from subsistence and ceremonial gathering in the newly created Stewards Point Marine Reserve.




Tribes Faced With MLPA Closures Walk Traditional Route for Food Gathering
by Dan Bacher
Saturday May 29th, 2010 2:17 PM

Today at 9:00 a.m., Indian Tribes from Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, and Humboldt counties met at Wilderness Rd. near Branscomb along the Northern California coast to take the traditional route for summer food gathering.



Pomo grieve loss of ocean fishing grounds
By ROBERT DIGITALE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, April 30, 2010 at 7:23 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, April 30, 2010 at 7:23 p.m.
( page of 3 )

On an ocean bluff
above a resting seal
and relentless waves,
Kashia Pomo leaders
Friday voiced oppo-
sition to new state
rules that prohibit
harvesting fish and
other sea life at
Stewarts Point. The
rules, which take effect
today, establish a
series of state preserves intended to help restore California's marine ecosystems.

But to the Indians with ties to Stewarts Point, the fishing ban there harms their culture, their ceremonies and the transmission of traditions to future generations.





Fishermen, tribes testify on North Coast reserves
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.

EUREKA — A task force that will propose plans for marine reserves off California's northernmost coast is hearing passionate testimony from tribe members and fisherman. The panel was in Eureka on Wednesday for a public hearing on the area stretching from the Oregon border south to Point Arena in Mendocino County. The Marine Life Protection Act of 1999 set aside five areas off the coast where fishing could be restricted or banned outright.

M L P A   I N I T I A T I V E:
MLPA Summary of Tribal Data Collection North Central Coast Region