HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-95 - Kelp Re-establishment ProjectRESOLUTION NO. 2006-95
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
RELATING TO FUNDING THE KELP RE- ESTABLISHMENT PROJECT
OFF OF THE COAST OF NEWPORT BEACH,
CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK, LAGUNA BEACH AND DANA POINT
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach and its residents are concerned with
coastal water quality and the marine environment; and
WHEREAS, the loss of the giant kelp beds offshore during the 1980s dramatically
reduced the diversity of the marine environment of the area; and
WHEREAS, a Giant Kelp Re- establishment Project ( "Project ") was started in
September 2000 with a 3 -year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration ( "NOAA ") and an additional NOAA grant continues the project until
August of 2007, at which point the project terminates; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nancy Caruso, the marine biologist overseeing the Project with
the California CoastKeeper Alliance (www.cacoastkeeper.ora) seeks to continue the
Project's activities until August of 2007 via a direct contribution from the City of
Newport Beach and other affected jurisdictions, in part because the current level of
funding is not sufficient to adequately support the Project nor to carry out the
necessary tasks needed to be accomplished prior to August of 2007 that will ensure
the success of the already established kelp beds; and
WHEREAS, the benefits of the Project, which should lead to increased
biological diversity and species abundance off of the Central and South Orange
County coastlines, include: (1) teaching students from all over Orange County about
marine forest ecology and how to grow kelp seedlings in their classrooms; (2)
recruiting and training volunteer scuba divers to help in the restoration of the giant kelp
and monitor the restored sites; and (3) educating the general public about the
importance of the kelp forests through displays at public events, publications and
media coverage; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Caruso has, as part of the Project: (1) supervised the training
of 130 volunteer scuba divers (from all over Southern California) to help with the
Project; (2) replanted kelp on more than 5000 square meters of reef in Newport Beach
and Laguna Beach; (3) removed more than 17,000 sea urchins (predators of kelp)
from restored kelp sites; (4) taught more than 1000 students in 10 different middle
schools and high schools in Orange County (including Newport Harbor High School)
how to grow kelp in their classrooms for use in the kelp reestablishment project; and
(5) has educated more than 50,000 people through public outreach events held in
Orange County (including activities in the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum in
Newport Beach); and
WHEREAS, Ms. Caruso desires to continue working on this project until it ends
in August of 2007, thus removing another 10,000 sea urchins to help ensure that the
reestablished kelp beds can continue to thrive and continuing to monitor all the
Newport Beach and Laguna Beach restoration sites, transplanting kelp and producing
summation reports to ensure that the Project may be addressed in the future by
another marine biologist.
WHEREAS, The requested funds will be used to pay for slip fees, boat repair,
fuel, and restoration supplies and equipment necessary to keep the project going until
August of 2007; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach that the City
hereby restates its support of Ms. Caruso's efforts and those of the CoastKeeper
Alliance to restore kelp off of the Central and South Orange County coastline and
that it offers the sum of $5,000 to the Project to complete its final year; and be it also
RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach that the City
hereby encourages the cities of Laguna Beach and Dana Point to provide similar
support to Ms. Caruso and the California CoastKeeper Alliance for the Project.
ADOPTED this 24"' day of October, 2006.
ATTEST:
MWIZI -0-10
MAYOR
STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } ss.
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH }
I, LaVonne M. Harkless, City Clerk of the City of Newport Beach, California, do
hereby certify that the whole number of members of the City Council is seven; that the foregoing
resolution, being Resolution No. 2006 -95 was duly and regularly introduced before and adopted by
the City Council of said City at a regular meeting of said Council, duly and regularly held on the
24th day of October 2006, and that the same was so passed and adopted by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes: Curry, Selich, Rosansky, Ridgeway, Daigle, Nichols, Mayor Webb
Noes: None
Absent: None
Abstain: None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the
official seal of said City this 25th day of October 2006.
M•
6 17V r441-t
City Clerk
Newport Beach, California
(Seal)