Tag Archives: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
Offshore wind or tribal rights? Biden’s California dilemma.
Several offshore wind developers want to build the state’s first farms off the coast here, projects that are needed for California and the White House to reach decarbonization goals. But this summer, the administration is also likely to designate the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in coastal waters that surround Morro Bay, a plan that the offshore wind industry says blocks their access to the grid. Equinor, Golden State Wind and Invenergy California Offshore, companies with offshore wind farms planned off the bay, hope to carve out guaranteed paths for their power lines to reach shore, when the NOAA finalizes the sanctuary in coming months. “The ocean should not be the sacrificial lamb for our unquenchable thirst for energy,” said Violet Sage Walker, chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, the Indigenous tibe that proposed the marinre sanctuary to NOAA. more, >>click to read<< 09:29
Massive Central Coast marine sanctuary gets closer to federal protection. What’s next?
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is one step closer to becoming a reality,,, The massive proposed marine sanctuary has been in NOAA’s nomination phase since 2015. It now officially moves to the designation phase. Central Coast Congressman Salud Carbajal D-Santa Barbara, “I am thrilled the Biden administration has taken this step,,, Not all are strong proponents of the proposed marine sanctuary. In a letter to NOAA in June 2020, the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries,, “For fishermen having a NMS manage areas they fish will mean that they will always have to watch their backs, wondering what NMS management will do,” the letter said. >click to read< 17:14
Sierra Club’s claims about Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary are deceptive
The local Sierra Club and other environmental groups are either ignorant or deceptive when they say the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will not have an effect on the local fishing industry. They are asking us to simply “trust them” as they “promise” us that the new sanctuary won’t lead to more regulations on our overburdened fishermen and women. So, if they want us to “trust them,” let’s look at the way similar sanctuary designations have affected fishing industries along the coast. continue reading the op-ed here 08:01
Thanks to the supervisors who protected SLO County fishermen
Many thanks to the San Luis Obispo County supervisors that support the fishermen, ranchers, farmers and our ports and harbor districts in the county regarding the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary issue. The supervisors that did not support us claimed that this was about oil. This issue has nothing to do with oil. It has to do with the livelihoods of those of us that make our living on land and sea. We are here to protect our livelihoods from federal intrusion and nothing more. One of the supervisors claimed they would not manage fisheries. Well, I can assure the public that neither he nor anyone in our county will be making that decision. It will be made in Washington, D.C., just like all of the hundreds of other rules that will be made regarding all national sanctuary management. Federal rules are not made by cities, counties or states. They are made only by the federal government. Link 09:53
The perils of approving a marine sanctuary
The word sanctuary has a nice sound. A holy place or natural retreat for animals. Add marine. Marine sanctuary. A safe place for Dory. Add Native Americans. It’s a trifecta: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Sounds so beautiful. Or is it? Our San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has had two hearings on this subject in recent weeks. Other cities and agencies have also been hearing this proposal. But, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 against the establishment of a sanctuary off our coast. How can this be? Proponents for the sanctuary delivered 12,000 signatures on petitions to demonstrate local support. On the other side, the opponents appeared to have fewer than 400 supporters. On one hand, thousands of local citizen have faced off against the small business community as represented by commercial fishermen, ranchers, farmers and the Chamber of Commerce. An analogy may be that this is a case of popular vote versus the Electoral College as we saw in the recent presidential election. Another wrinkle is the name of the sanctuary. Although “Chumash” is used in the title, the only state and federally recognized Chumash Tribe, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has not endorsed the sanctuary bearing their name. Another state recognized tribe, The Salinan Tribe, has not endorsed the sanctuary either. What’s going on? Great read! Read the story here 08:56
Why doesn’t Supervisor Compton support Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary? It IS Federally Funded, you know!
Opinion by Brad Snook, co-chair of Surfrider Foundation – San Luis Obispo Supervisor Lynn Compton, a SLO County Supervisor, is wrong to deny SLO County the federal funding of cultural education, marine research, and a new local stakeholder effort that a Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary could bring. It’s Federal funding! Why wouldn’t a coastal supervisor, like Lynn Compton, support the Sanctuary, too? Supervisor Compton says she is concerned about “local control”. Supervisor Compton’s district, which is the coastal section of southern SLO County, is pivotal in decisions on whether SLO County will choose to protect the quality of its air, water, and county land. Read the rest here 08:20
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would be problematic for fisheries
Since November, the Sierra Club, as well as Surfrider and EcoSLO, have had full-page ads in The Tribune telling of what to expect, in their opinion, from a sanctuary in our area. They indicated sums of money the sanctuary generated annually from commercial fishing and jobs in the commercial fishing industry that sanctuaries support. As a member of the fishing community for 37 years here on the Central Coast, I know what they have written is unequivocally false.The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 1992 guaranteed us and made it part of their designation document (contract) that they would not manage fisheries. The sanctuary had multiple infractions of this rule in which they helped to close many areas to commercial fishing in flagrant disregard for our contractual agreement. Read the rest here 13:33
Morro Bay opts not to host second Marine Sanctuary forum
The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would stretch 140 miles along the coast from Cambria to Santa Barbara. The proposal has been nominated, meaning it’s in the queue for consideration, but no formal designation process has begun yet. The proposal’s concept is to protect a diverse ecosystem from oil drilling, seismic surveys and other potential impacts, while encouraging scientific research. Coastal wildlife includes dolphins, whales, white sea bass, sardines, mackerel, kelp and elephant seals. Fishing industry leaders, however, are concerned that a sanctuary would lead to more fishing restrictions and believe existing governmental protections — such as trawl closure areas, rockfish conservation areas and marine-protected areas — are sufficient. They also believe that adding a new federal regulating agency would reduce local influence over offshore policy. Read the rest here 06:47
Environmentalists, fishermen clash over proposed Chumash marine sanctuary
A controversial underwater national park proposed off the Central Coast aims to protect and manage the area’s marine life, stop oil drilling and seismic surveys, and encourage scientific research. In October, the nomination for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary was accepted for consideration, setting the stage for a showdown in coming months and years between environmentalists who strongly support the proposed sanctuary and the fishing community that opposes it. Read the article here 23:22
