Your help is needed with the first significant test in the upcoming Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process. This state law will close anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of our state waters. Obviously, the choice of which areas to close is critical. The wrong 20 percent – an unlikely outcome, but possible – would put us out of business.
Kayak anglers will only have a significant say in the matter if we earn a spot on the South Coast Regional Stakeholder’s Group. The RSG is responsible for collaboratively creating reserve network proposals that meet the standards of the law while minimizing impacts on current uses.
I’m submitting myself as a nominee representing the kayak fishing community. For those who don't know me, my name is Paul Lebowitz. I’m the inaugural director of the Kayak Fishing Association of California, a grassroots organization dedicated to preserve and expand kayak fishing opportunities across the entire state, but especially in Southern California, kayak fishing’s epicenter. I’m also a huge promoter of a sport that’s provided me incredible enjoyment over the past decade, becoming not only a lifestyle but a vocation. I write about the sport for Western Outdoor News and many other regional and national publications. In short, I love kayak fishing and I’m ready to devote countless hours to keeping our ocean access.
I’m asking for your help. Please send a letter, email, or phone call supporting my nomination to a couple of key decision makers: the Executive Director of the MLPA Initiative and the Director of the DFG. Their contact information and a sample letter are included below. Please personalize your letter – it will have more impact if you do.
Government contact info, links, and sample letters are available on the KFACA website:
http://www.kfaca.org/rsg_nomination.htm
Thank-you,
Paul