The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is not lacking in beauty. Photo: Surfrider Foundation
Central California is on track to have a new swath of protected ocean and coastline. On September 6, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the final environmental impact report for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The proposed 4,543-square-mile reserve would run 116 miles from Pismo Beach to Gaviota, reaching depths of 11,580 feet.
The updated status would effectively ban activities such as new oil and gas drilling, seabed disturbance, and certain vessel discharges within the area, as well as increase funding and research to better understand and promote the health of marine ecosystems.
If the plan goes through, it will be the first tribal-nominated marine sanctuary in the history of the U.S., the third-largest in the country, and the first designated since 1994. After the September 6 release of the impact report, there is a 30-day waiting period before the NOAA makes a concrete decision on the proposal. If the proposal is approved, the final management plan and regulations will be released in October followed by a 45-day state and congressional review. Final approval would take place in December or January.
According to the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara tourism boards, the area attracts 15 million yearly visitors due to its marine habitats. Humpback whales, leatherback sea turtles, and sea otters are among the species that frequent the stretch of coast. The boundaries encompass more than 200 shipwrecks and unique underwater features rich in marine life like Rodriguez Seamount and Arguello Canyon.
As far as surf breaks, the stretch of coast from Pismo Beach to Gaviota is relatively remote and many areas are difficult to access by car. However, there are several quality surf breaks, particularly around Point Conception, that fall within the sanctuary. One such example is Hollister Ranch. Access was opened to the public there in 2019.
The report doesn’t call for the sanctuary to impose any new limits on commercial or recreational fishing. In fact, the proposal says that the added protections would be beneficial to commercial fishing by preserving the habitats on which the ecosystem depends. The sanctuary’s regulations and management plan will be more clearly defined after the current 30-day waiting period.
Noticeably absent from the sanctuary’s current geographic boundaries is Morro Bay and the iconic Morro Rock – a section of the coast that the Chumash originally intended to be a hub of the reserve. The sanctuary plan clashed with a simultaneous wind farm project that would require connecting cables from floating turbines in the sea to land. Such a project wouldn’t be possible without an ocean corridor in Morro Bay south of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to the north.
It’s worth noting that the exact boundaries of the sanctuary are not set in stone. The impact statement includes a “boundary adjustment action plan” that calls for future decision-making on an expansion to the Morro Bay estuary in the north and more of the Gaviota coast in the south. The current proposal includes a compromise to carve out space for the wind farm cables with the possibility of expanding the sanctuary in the future.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris lauded the update and said she was “proud” to support the efforts to push through the sanctuary.
“This is a huge moment for the Chumash People and all who have tirelessly supported our campaign over the years,” said Violet Sage Walker, Chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. “My father, the late Chief Fred Collins, began the journey to protect these sacred waters 40 years ago, and we have been so proud to continue his work. I am delighted to celebrate his vision, today’s success, and the future of our people who will always be connected to the past, present, and future by this special stretch of coastline and the true magic its waters hold.”
