Guys,

I am so discouraged. I just saw what the facilitators of the MRWG are
going
to present to the SAC tomorrow...and the agreed upon map isn't even in
the
package! Somehow the environmental activists muscled their way in with
the
facilitators and what they are going to present are just the original
concepts A,B,C and D! These are the maps, with accompanying "science"
that
was presented to the public several months ago at the public meeting
many of
you attended. All the work since that meeting is somehow being brushed
under
the carpet and ignored because it doesn't meet the activist's massive
closure objectives. I can't believe what a setup this is.

During the past few meetings all the user groups (commerical, squid,
kelp,
recreational...) both suggested acceptable areas for closures and
claimed
areas too valuable to close. The end result was a map that would,
geographically, include massive closures, though in percentage terms
would
be less than 20% of the islands. This map contained all the hard fought
for
areas in fairly minute detail and was acceptable to all the user
groups.

This map was not a consensus map, since it didn't contain enough
closures
for the activists. At the end of the last meeting, the MRWG decided to
pass
on this valuable map, with explanation that it was not "agreed upon"
and
that is was simply a map of "common area." The unbelievable event of
them
not even presenting this map is an example of the underhanded tactics
of the
activists when they are away from the table.

Tomorrow is simply supposed to be a chance for the SAC to hear the
MRWG,
analyze the process and NOT to vote on a recommendation to the F&G
Commission. We need you to attend in case this turns into something
different than it's supposed to be. I know that the activists are
gathering
hoards of UCSB students to come in and support giant reserves. We need
voices to air the truth in all of this.

See you there.