“Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary: A Victory Decades in the Making”

The Biden administration has announced the creation of a new national marine sanctuary off the Central California coast, covering more than 4,500 square miles of ocean. This sanctuary, known as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, will be the third largest in the United States and the first to be led by Indigenous people.

The effort to establish the sanctuary was driven by members of the Northern Chumash Tribe, who have been campaigning for over a decade to protect the rugged coastline that is their historical homeland. The sanctuary will be managed in partnership with tribes and Indigenous groups in the area, marking a significant step towards giving Indigenous communities a say in the protection of their lands and waters.

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be similar to a national forest on land, providing protection from oil and gas drilling and undersea mining while still allowing for fishing activities. The sanctuary will also focus on public outreach and monitoring to better understand how the marine ecosystem is being impacted by climate change.

The decision to establish the sanctuary comes at a critical time for the region, as the Pacific Ocean has been facing challenges from climate change, including marine heat waves that have disrupted the food web and affected marine life. Congressman Salud Carbajal, who represents the area, emphasized the importance of the sanctuary in addressing these challenges.

However, the sanctuary boundaries were adjusted to accommodate California’s offshore wind industry, with a phased approach to expand the sanctuary in the future. Wind energy companies and tribal groups reached a compromise to allow for the development of offshore wind infrastructure while preserving the marine ecosystem.

The federal government plans to manage the sanctuary in collaboration with tribes and Indigenous groups in the area, with a focus on indigenous co-management. This approach has been piloted in other areas, such as the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington state, and aims to build trust and collaboration between Indigenous communities and the government.

Overall, the establishment of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary represents a significant milestone in the protection of the marine ecosystem off the Central California coast and highlights the importance of Indigenous leadership in conservation efforts.