The U.S. gets a new national #MarineSanctuary, the first led by a tribe

By Lauren Sommer
Published October 14, 2024

"More than 4,500 square miles of ocean will soon be protected by the federal government off the #CentralCalifornia coast. The #Biden administration is creating a new national marine sanctuary, which will be the third largest in the U.S.

"The sanctuary is also the first to be led by #IndigenousPeople. It was nominated by members of the #NorthernChumashTribe, who drove the effort for more than decade to protect the rugged #coastline that is their historical homeland.

"Going forward, the new #ChumashHeritage National Marine Sanctuary will be managed in partnership with tribes and I#ndigenous groups in the area, who will advise the federal government. It marks a growing movement under the Biden administration to give tribes a say over the lands and waters that were taken from them.

"'We’re still here, and so are the Indigenous people wherever you live,' says #VioletSageWalker, chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, who led the campaign for the sanctuary. 'Being able to address #ClimateChange, use traditional #ecological knowledge, and participate in #comanagement is Indigenous peoples’ contribution to saving the planet.'

"The final sanctuary boundaries are smaller than originally proposed due to California’s burgeoning #OffshoreWind industry. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says it plans to look at expanding the sanctuary in the future.

"National marine sanctuaries are similar to a national forest on land. The new sanctuary will be protected from oil and gas #drilling, as well as #UnderseaMining, while #fishing is still permitted. It also means more public outreach and monitoring for environmental impacts, something NOAA says is vital to understanding how the ecosystem is being affected by climate change."

Read more / listen:
https://www.interlochenpublicradio.org/2024-10-14/the-u-s-gets-a-new-national-marine-sanctuary-the-first-led-by-a-tribe