NOAA Advances the Chumash Heritage Marine Sanctuary: Submit Your Comments in Support!

Members of the public have 60 days to provide input on a new National Marine Sanctuary off central California. Make your voice heard!

Eight years ago, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council officially proposed the creation of a Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the central California coast with support from the Surfrider San Luis Obispo Chapter, the Sierra Club and other partners. On August 24, the federal government announced it is proceeding with the sanctuary designation process and released a draft management plan and other documents for public review. A 60-day public comment period is now open for members of the public to provide input to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). See instructions below for how to submit comments in support!

“The Surfrider Foundation applauds NOAA for moving forward with designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary”, said Surfrider CEO Dr. Chad Nelsen. “The sanctuary will help protect vital marine and cultural resources off the central California coast, while honoring the Indigenous peoples who have lived in this region for time immemorial. Surfrider urges the public to submit comments to NOAA in support of a strong management plan that will achieve the proposed goals of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.”

The waters off Central California are some of the most productive, biologically diverse and culturally significant on the West Coast. Significant features include Chumash sacred sites, feeding grounds for 13 species of whales and dolphins, major upwelling processes, sea otter population, thriving kelp forests, world class fish diversity, pinniped spawning areas – the list goes on and on. Yet, these invaluable resources are highly vulnerable to human impacts, including potential offshore oil and gas exploitation and other harmful activities.

A National Marine Sanctuary designation will help to conserve these natural and cultural resources, while promoting scientific research and public education. National Marine Sanctuaries are a type of marine protected area that is managed by NOAA. While sanctuaries allow for a range of human activities including recreational and commercial fishing, a primary management goal is to conserve the marine environment. Accordingly, sanctuaries include management measures to help protect ecological and human resources.

“We are excited to see the designation of the Chumash Heritage Sanctuary moving forward,” said sanctuary Nominator and Northern Chumash Tribal Council Chairwoman Violet Sage Walker. “We know the importance of protecting this vital stretch of ocean, for our marine life, our fishing and our cultural heritage. Sanctuaries uplift local participation in ocean management, and this sanctuary will put Indigenous communities in partnership with NOAA. The collective knowledge of the Central Coast’s First Peoples, as well as other local stakeholders, scientists, and policymakers, will create a strong foundation to have a thriving coast for generations to come.”

“This is a great example of how local communities can work with federal and state partners to protect vital stretches of coastal and marine waters,” said Carol Georgi with the Surfrider Foundation San Luis Obispo Chapter. “National Marine Sanctuaries play a crucial role in conserving, protecting, and managing our marine ecosystems and resources, while also providing educational, scientific, cultural, and economic benefits to the local community”, said Jim Miers, Chair of the Surfrider Foundation San Luis Obispo Chapter.

Make Your Voice Heard!

NOAA is inviting the public to comment on the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, including the draft management plan, proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement. These comments will help shape the final sanctuary designation which is expected to occur in 2024. Please complete Surfrider's online petition or, better yet, submit your official comment to NOAA in support of a strong management plan!

Surfrider urges our supporters to submit comments to NOAA in support of a strong sanctuary management plan that will protect the outstanding marine and cultural resources of the region. .

How to Submit Comments

Please go to the Federal Rulemaking Portal for docket NOAA-NOS-2021-0080. Follow the instructions for sending comments and see suggested talking points below. Comments are due by October 25, 2023.

As a Surfrider member and/ or coastal recreation user, I strongly support the designation of a new national marine sanctuary off the central California coast.
This designation should be named Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in recognition of the history and culture of the Chumash people.
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary should be officially designated as soon as possible.
The sanctuary boundaries should include the full geographic extent reflected in the original proposal - i.e., the Initial Boundary Alternative - as well as the Gaviota Coast Extension (5B) boundary option.
The management plan should ensure the lasting protection of the sanctuary’s outstanding ecological and cultural resources.
The sanctuary should prohibit any oil and gas exploration, development or production.
The sanctuary should prohibit seabed mining, ocean dumping and other activities damaging to the seafloor, cultural resources and marine ecosystem.
The sanctuary should protect water quality from pollution sources including cruise ships, commercial vessels and agricultural runoff.
Indigenous Collaborative Management should be applied in an equitable manner to empower the Chumash Nation and other Indigenous Peoples to steward these invaluable resources.
The sanctuary should support and promote marine research, education, stewardship, recreation and tourism.

Public Meetings

NOAA will host both in-person and virtual informational workshops to describe its proposed action and answer questions. Separately, NOAA will host public comment meetings at which it will receive comments on the proposed designation.

Informational Workshop #1 (in-person):

Date and time: Monday, Sept. 11, 2023; 5 PM PDT
Location: Grover Beach Community Center
Address: 1230 Trouville Ave, Grover Beach, CA 93433

Informational Workshop #2 (in-person):

Date and time: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023; 6 PM PDT
Location: Vista Del Mar School Union
Address: 9467 San Julian Rd, Gaviota, CA 93117

Informational Workshop #3 (online):

Date and time: Friday, Sept. 15, 2023; 11 AM PDT
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/mfp-nkgm-gek
Or dial: (US) +1 929-336-0133 PIN: 637 663 374#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/mfp-nkgm-gek?pin=5723155627284

Public Comment Meeting 1 (in-person):

Date and time: Monday, Sept. 25, 2023; 5 PM PDT
Location: County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors Hearing Room
Address: 1055 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408

Public Comment Meeting 2 (in-person):

Date and time: Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023; 5 PM PDT
Location: Dick DeWees Community Center
Address: 1120 West Ocean Avenue, Lompoc, CA 93436

Public Comment Meeting 3 (online):

Date and time: Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023; 1 PM PDT
Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7569323252287031132

For more information on the review process for Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, go to https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/chumash-heritage/

To add your name to Surfrider's petition to NOAA click here.