NOAA to Hold Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting on Monday At the Pagoda Hotel, Open to Public

News Release from Friends of Maunalua Bay and the Hawaii Kai Marina Association

(Honolulu, Hawaii) July 17, 2015 – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will hold an all-day meeting for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) on Monday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m at the Pagoda Hotel’s International Ballroom. The meeting is open to the public and there will be a public comment period at 3 p.m.

Per the agenda found on the Sanctuary's website (and attached):

“The purpose of this meeting is for the Management Plan Review [MPR] working group to present the results of their evaluation and recommendations for discussion for the Sanctuary Advisory Council to take action on the Sanctuary’s Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement.”

The 10-member MPR working group was formed by the SAC and consists “of council members and non-council members including cultural advisors, representatives of user groups, technical experts, and state and federal agency representatives.”

• WHO: NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and Management Plan Review Working GroupWHAT: Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting
• WHERE: Pagoda Hotel, International Ballroom, 1525 Rycroft St., Honolulu
• WHEN: Monday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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NOAA: We Will Take Over Moanalua Bay

SA July 19, 2015: ...We received thousands of public comments during the comment period, which closed June 19. We have seen the interest and passion in the community, and have heard very clearly the diverse views of the public. Some comments expressed support for the proposal, and others were strong voices of concern.

Now we enter the next phase of the process where, working with our state partners, we will consider all views expressed and examine ways to refine the proposal based on what we heard.

Going forward, working with state agencies like the DLNR and the governor’s office, we will identify the role the sanctuary should play to support Hawaii’s management of these critical natural resources. Specifically, we will be looking at whether the additional areas proposed by the sanctuary around Oahu, Kauai and Niihau are appropriate or necessary to meet the objectives of the sanctuary and the state.

In addition, we will work with the state to determine what kind of modifications should be considered regarding the regulations proposed in the March 2015 draft document. This includes controversial discharge and seabed-alteration regulations intended to help restore the health of Maunalua Bay, which is already within sanctuary co-managed waters.

The state and NOAA will be working to finalize the regulations and plan and release them sometime next year.

Once the final rule is released, the governor will have an additional opportunity to weigh in on any changes in management to state waters.

read ... NOAA Taking Over