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Quick Links

• Bluebelt's Response Letter to DF&W's Petition Analysis 
• DF&W Full Petition Analysis Report
•  Amended Blebelt MPA Petition
• State Web Portal for MPA Petition Process
•  Laguna Beach Bluebelt Website

Laguna Beach Bluebelt Petition

During the first 10 year review, a local group called the Laguna Beach Bluebelt submitted a petition. Laguna Beach Bluebelt Website

The petition proposes to:

• Extend no take protections from South Table Rock to the southern Laguna Beach boundary near Three Arch Bay
• Make all Laguna Beach waters follow the same no take rules

No take means no fishing or removal of marine life.

Amended Blebelt MPA Petition

Initiative Updates

Laguna Bluebelt Provides Comment Letter Responding to DF&W's Petition Analysis (4/2/26)

The letter from the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition responds to the State’s review of its petition to expand no take marine protections in Laguna Beach and outlines areas where the coalition disagrees with the State’s findings. It states that a single citywide no fishing rule would be easier for the public to understand, cites newer scientific data showing stronger kelp conditions in protected areas than in nearby unprotected areas, and argues that expanding the protected area would improve the local marine protected area network. The letter also states that impacts on recreational fishing would be limited, addresses questions related to enforcement and boundary design, and asks the Fish and Game Commission to consider the petition using updated information during the ongoing review process.

Bluebelt Comment letter on DFW Evaluation of Petition 2023_24

How the State Reviews and Decides MPA Petitions (Updated 3/31/2026)

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s recommendation to deny the petition is not the final action. The California Fish and Game Commission must still review the petition analysis, hear public testimony at a public meeting, and determine whether to uphold or reject the Department’s recommendation.

The Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to consider the Laguna Beach petition on May 19. The Commission may choose to take action at that meeting, or it may continue the item to its July Fish and Game Commission meeting for further consideration.

Residents and interested parties will have an opportunity to provide public comment as part of the Commission’s review process.

If you would like additional information about the different roles of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Commission, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section below, which explains how each agency participates in the MPA petition process.

Summary of Petition's Rational (Provided by State 3/20/26)

The petitioner’s stated intent for the proposed change is: Since the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative planning process, the City of Laguna Beach’s assumed jurisdiction over the city’s southern beaches from the County of Orange. This regulation change will make enforcement easier and more consistent, better protect kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) beds in South Laguna from fishing and the potential effects of anchor chain drag, and reduce whale entanglement risks from spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) trap lines.

 *this summary is verbatim from the DF&W petition analysis, and not the position of the City or its agents.

Summary of States Recommendation and Justification of the Laguna Bluebelt's Petition (Provided by State 3/20/26)

Recommended by DF&W Staff (Not final approval): deny the petition

The proposed change to expand the Laguna Beach No-take SMCA and thereby reduce the size of the Dana Point SMCA does not address an enforcement challenge, advance adaptive management recommendations from the Decadal Management Review (DMR), address a current or emerging MPA management challenge, or align with the original intent of these MPAs as established during the MLPA Initiative planning process. The proposed change is unlikely to benefit migrating whales or have a biologically meaningful impact on kelp at this location beyond what is already offered by the Dana Point SMCA. The proposal would change the boundary so that it no longer aligns with key Feasibility Guidelines, which would likely compromise enforceability. The proposed change would also unnecessarily restrict an existing important fishing ground that was deliberately contemplated during the MLPA Initiative planning process.

 *this summary is verbatim from the DF&W petition analysis, and not the position of the City or its agents.

Click here to read the Department of Fish and Wildlife's analysis of the Bluebelt Petition

Visual Aids 

Current Map of Laguna Beach MPAs

Proposed Map of Laguna Beach MPAs per Petition Submission

Frequently Asked Questions