RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERY SERVICE, FISHNET 4C COUNTIES AND OTHER AGENCIES FOR RECOVERY PLANNING FOR CERTAIN THREATENED SPECIES

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RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that

WHEREAS, six central California coastal counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino have formed a working group called the Fishery Network of the Central California Coastal Counties (FishNet 4C); and

WHEREAS, the FishNet 4C Steering Committee and working groups are comprised of Supervisor representatives from each county as well as other key local, state, and federal agency representatives; and

WHEREAS, the FishNet 4C working group was organized to address the fact that coho salmon, chinook salmon and steelhead trout have been listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as threatened within the FishNet Counties under Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA); and

WHEREAS, FishNet 4C working group members share the mission to protect the threatened and endangered populations of salmon and steelhead trout found within the coastal streams in our region and to restore natural salmon and steelhead populations to levels that are healthy, sustainable and support a productive fishing industry within our region; and

WHEREAS, NMFS, the Federal agency responsible under the Endangered Species Act for listing and protecting the salmon fisheries, has embarked on a multi-year Recovery Planning program in our region, which is referred to as the North-Central California Coast Recovery Planning Domain;

WHEREAS, the FishNet Counties have proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NMFS on Recovery Planning, with the signatories to include the FishNet counties of Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey, Humboldt County, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the Army Corps of Engineers (herein referred to as Signatories);

WHEREAS, the MOU Signatories will participate in a collaborative partnership with NMFS to participate in the recovery planning process by sharing data, information, and knowledge that can be used to develop and improve the technical and policy components of the recovery plan; pursuing policies and actions that may result in the achievement of the recovery of healthy and sustainable populations of salmon and steelhead within the recovery planning domain; and encouraging locally led watershed stewardship efforts aimed at restoring and protecting water quality, ecosystem integrity and sustainable populations of salmon and steelhead while providing for the wise use of resources; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Mateo is requested to support and adopt the MOU for Recovery Planning and a form of the MOU has been presented to this Board for its consideration; and

WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the County of San Mateo to become a signatory to the MOU for Recovery Planning.

NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, hereby find, determine, and declare as follows:

1. All of the above recitals are true and correct.

2. The Board of Supervisors supports and approves the MOU for Recovery Planning.

3. Supervisor Richard Gordon, the Supervisor representative for San Mateo County to the FishNet 4C Steering Committee, is authorized to sign the MOU for Recovery Planning in a form substantially the same as provided, subject to review by County Counsel, and

4. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors acknowledges that the signing of the MOU on Recovery Planning and working with NMFS throughout the Recovery Planning timeframe is in the County's best interests.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at the regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo on April 30, 2002.

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