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environmental, and economic evaluation and assessment; 5) 

 develop and begin implementing an agreed-upon plan for 

 assessing alternative methods for protecting and containing 

 sea otters in designated zones; 6) facilitate the compilation, 

 evaluation, and publication of existing survey, tagging, and 

 mortality data; and 7) update the Southern Sea Otter Recovery 

 Plan and initiate development of a comprehensive work plan. 



By letter of 14 September 1983, the Commission advised 

 the Fish and Wildlife Service as to the steps necessary to 

 accomplish the aforementioned tasks. The Commission also 

 noted that the identified tasks could only be accomplished 

 promptly and effectively if an appropriately qualified 

 person could be added to the Service's staff to devote full 

 time to program planning, coordination, and administration. 

 In order to make it possible for the Service to hire such a 

 person, the Commission offered to transfer $40,000 to the 

 Service to support the first years • work of a Sea Otter 

 Recovery Activities Coordinator. 



The Service responded to the Commission's recommendations 

 by letter dated 19 December 1983. The letter indicated that 

 the Service agreed in principle with all of the points 

 raised in the Commission's 14 September letter. It responded, 

 in general terms, to each of the eight principal points 

 raised in the Commission's letter, and indicated that a 

 more specific response would be forthcoming at a later date. 

 Among other things, the Service indicated that it agreed 

 with the need for a full-time Sea Otter Recovery Activities 

 Coordinator and said that it would take appropriate steps 

 to fill the position. 



Other Activities 



Discussions during the Sea Otter Program Review in 

 August 1983 indicated that the California Sea Otter Game 

 Refuge, located off the coast of Monterey and San Luis 

 Obispo Counties, was not shown on current marine charts for 

 the area although it is shown on aeronautical charts. This 

 omission could impede the effective enforcement of regulations 

 within the Refuge, particularly those prohibiting the discharge 

 of firearms or bows and the trapping of birds and animals. 

 Therefore, the Commission advised the National Oceanic 

 and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, the 

 agency responsible for navigation charts, about this omission. 

 The Service indicated its willingness to further consult 

 with the Commission and the California Department of Fish and 



