MaPP requested expert advice and feedback from PacMARA on draft methodologies and criteria to develop socio-economic “cost” layer(s) to identify possible management options (including high priority conservation areas), using the spatial planning decision-support tool Marxan. The ecological features in this analysis have been taken from the BC Marine Conservation Analysis (http://bcmca.ca).

The comments and recommendations reported here are based on information provided in MaPP’s cost layer criteria draft, dated 16 May 2013, “Developing a cost layer to identify high priority conservation areas”. This document is meant solely as an overview of advice, and builds upon our presentation and discussion during the telephone conference of 1 May 2013.