The waters off the coast of Central California are now part of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the result of decades of work by local Indian leaders. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Hide caption
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More than 4,500 square miles of ocean off the coast of central California will soon be protected by the federal government. Biden administration is creating a new national marine sanctuary, the third largest in the US
The sanctuary is also the first to be led by indigenous people. It was nominated by members of the Northern Chumash Tribe, who have been pushing for more than a decade to protect the rugged coastline of their historic homeland.
The new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will now be managed in collaboration with the region’s tribes and indigenous groups, who will advise the federal government. This marks a growing movement under the Biden administration to give tribes a say over stolen lands and waters.
“We’re still here, and so are Native Americans everywhere,” says Violet Sage Walker, president of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, which led the movement to build the reserve. “By tackling climate change, leveraging traditional ecological knowledge, and participating in co-management, Indigenous peoples are contributing to saving the planet.”
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is the sixth off the West Coast and protects a vibrant marine ecosystem. NOAA Hide caption
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Due to California’s rapidly growing offshore wind industry, the final protected area boundaries are narrower than originally proposed. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it will consider expanding the protected area in the future.
National marine sanctuaries are similar to national forests on land. The new protected areas will be protected from oil and gas drilling and seabed mining, but fishing will still be allowed. This also means more public outreach and monitoring of environmental impacts, which NOAA says is essential to understanding how ecosystems are being affected by climate change. states.
“People protect what they love, but you can’t love it if you don’t understand it,” says Paul Michel, regional policy coordinator for NOAA’s West Coast Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Part of our challenge is to share this amazing resource with people and encourage them to advocate for and support marine conservation.”
vision for protection
The new preserve is the realization of a lifelong dream of Walker’s father, Fred Collins. He worked with NOAA to designate the area as a protected area in 2015. The proposal stalled under the Trump administration, and Collins died a few years later.
“All my father wanted was for people to know that we were stewards of this land,” Walker says. “In one of our last conversations in the hospital before he passed away, he told me that the sanctuary was one of the most important things he had done and that he wanted me to finish it. Ta.”
The new reserve is home to a diverse marine ecosystem, with dense kelp forests supporting a wide range of life from sea otters to migrating whales. For walkers, the area is also home to many sacred sites dating back thousands of years, including the rocky cliffs known as Point Conception.
“This is a place where we believe spiritually that all people leave this world for the next life,” she says. “They will continue their journey – no matter what faith you have, no matter what spirituality you have – and the area will be completely and forever protected. My father, our ancestors, I think for the deceased elders, they are most excited about it.”
The Pacific Ocean has also been hit hard by climate change, including a massive ocean heatwave known as the “blob” that dramatically altered the food chain from 2014 to 2016, causing the decline of everything from tiny creatures to giant whales. It influences everything from
“Historic designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will not happen quickly,” said Congressman Saldo Carvajal, who represents the region. “This new protected area comes at a critical time for our region, as our oceans and communities face unprecedented challenges from a changing marine environment.”
Compromise with the wind industry
In 2022, the federal government opened the door to wind energy with the first offshore wind lease on the West Coast. The new floating turbines will be installed outside the reserve, but under the original reserve boundaries, undersea cables providing power to land would have been inside the reserve.
As a result of negotiations, wind energy companies and tribal groups agreed to a phased expansion approach with smaller boundaries for the preserve. The current boundaries leave a path for the construction of wind energy infrastructure. NOAA has since announced that it will begin the process of considering expanding the sanctuary to the size originally proposed, a move that wind energy companies say they support.
“We are committed to ensuring that our infrastructure advances with consideration for the natural environment, species of concern, and sensitive natural resources,” said Invenergy, one of the wind companies developing the project. said Erin Lieberman, vice president of environmental compliance and strategy. “How we incorporate that into project placement and project design is a priority. And I hope and believe that we can be that model.”
NOAA plans to consider expanding the new Chumash Heritage Marine Sanctuary in the next few years, after new infrastructure for the offshore wind farm is built. NOAA Hide caption
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Offshore wind energy could be essential for California to reach its goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from sources that do not emit global warming pollution by 2045. Studies have shown that offshore wind generates electricity at a critical time for the state: the moment the sun goes down and solar farms begin to shut down.
“There were compromises made, but I think that’s also how we move forward in tackling climate change,” Walker said. “Working on renewable green energy is not always easy.”
Development of indigenous co-management
NOAA said it plans to manage the new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary with input from tribes and indigenous groups in the region. Only one Chumash band, the Santa Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, is federally recognized, so involvement may vary by group, which NOAA has yet to determine. There is.
“What this really means is a starting point, because we recognize that we have a lot of work to do to get to know each other and build trust,” Michelle says.
The federal government is piloting Indigenous co-management in several locations, including the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington state. On land, the government works with five tribes to manage Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.
After centuries of forced removal and violence, it will take time for Indigenous peoples to repair their relationship with the federal government, Walker said.
“This is a big step for them and we’ll just wait and see,” Walker said. “As long as I’m breathing, we’ll continue to fight to protect Mother Earth. That’s what most indigenous people are.”
