Biden pushes for marine sanctuary off Central California coast

(CN) — The Biden administration proposed the conservation of more than 7,000 square miles of marine habitat off the coast of Central California as it seeks to follow through on its conservation goals. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that it would seek to create the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, which would preserve a vast swath of marine habitat in the ocean waters off San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

“The area is known for its wetlands and extensive kelp forests, critical habitat for numerous fish species and many threatened and endangered species such as the blue whale and the southern sea otter, black abalone, snowy plovers and leatherback sea turtles,” said Rick Spinrad, the director of NOAA.

The newly designated sanctuary would connect the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary to the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, providing hundreds of miles of conserved marine territory off of California. The proposal is one of the first steps after President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling on the federal government to take steps to afford conservation protection to 30% of the lands and waters of the United States. 

“This proposal demonstrates the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to lifting up community-led efforts to conserve our lands and waters and strengthen our economy,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “Local voices, indigenous knowledge, and collaborative stewardship will be integral to our efforts to bolster community resilience, protect our natural resources, and build a clean energy economy.” 

The proposed area would cover 156 miles of coastline from the town of Cambria, located in northern San Luis Obispo, south to Gaviota Creek in Santa Barbara County. The picturesque coastline just to the south of Big Sur is characterized by sandy beaches, coastal dunes and various systems of wetlands, a vital and vanishing resource along California’s coast. 

Historically significant shipwrecks have also occurred in the area, including the McCollogu, a Coast Guard-maintained cutter that stuck another ship and sank off Point Concepcion in 1917. 

The effort to preserve the area began with the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, which first advocated for the creation of a sanctuary in 2015. The tribe has had some presence on the coast for more than 20,000 years, according to tribal leaders. 

“To fix problems with the ocean, we have to be comfortable in our culture and heritage and own our own identity, and say, ‘Look, this is what’s right and wrong with the land. We have to hear people’s stories, let them speak their truth and be heard,’” said Violet Sage Walker, a member of the Northern Chumash, in a recent statement. 

Haaland, the first Native American to head the Department of the Interior, said indigenous voices can lead the way in America’s transition away from a fossil-fuel-based economy to one with more renewable energy in the portfolio. 

The marine sanctuary would be near several working oil rigs off the coast of Santa Barbara, but does not appear to dramatically impact their operability. However, the proximity to a marine sanctuary and liability concerns could impact oil development off the Central Coast. 

“The recent oil spill in California is a costly and harmful reminder that we need to do more to protect our coastal communities from the threats that our ocean is facing,” said Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

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