aAfter years of campaigning by Native Americans in central California, the United States finally approved the country’s first indigenously designated National Marine Sanctuary, a vast 4,543 square miles of ocean that protects marine life from mining and oil drilling. .
Almost four times the size of Yosemite National Park, the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary stretches along 116 miles of California’s coastline and protects numerous at-risk species, including southern sea otters, abalone, and blue whales. Become. The region also has important kelp forests, which not only provide food and shelter for marine life, but also act as carbon storage systems, capable of sequestering up to 20 times more carbon than terrestrial forests.
“We had tremendous, overwhelming support to protect this area, uniting our community,” said Violet Sage, president of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC), which was instrumental in recommending the preserve.・Walker speaks.
The tribe worked with various community and environmental groups to rally support for the preserve. “Generations of Central Coast residents, from tribal elders to college students, have been knocking on doors, sending postcards and emails, circulating petitions, calling local governments and community groups, and speaking on behalf of marine preserves. We’ve been doing some fundraising,” said Gianna Patchen, the group’s coordinator. Chapter of the Santa Lucia Sierra Club. “Now that our community’s hard work is paying off, we are thrilled to be able to help make this preserve the best place it can be.”
Walker took over the campaign after the death of her father, Fred Collins, a former tribal leader who endorsed the reserve in 2015.
The tribe claims that it is the custodian of both land and sea and has a duty to protect it from oil drilling, deep-sea mining and overfishing. The sanctuary will surround Point Conception, known as Humcak, which means “coming of the crow” in Chumash. Also known as the “Western Gate,” this area is particularly sacred to the tribe, and is believed to be the place where the souls of the dead depart from this world to the next.
Two days before Collins passed away unexpectedly in 2021, she asked her daughter to help her realize her dream of creating a sanctuary.
“I feel complete,” Walker said. “I feel like I’ve fulfilled my promise and obligation to my family and to the planet. It’s been on my mind for a long time and something we’ve always worried about. Now we can stop worrying so much. You can stop and work on other things that need to be taken care of.”
The sanctuary boundaries will go into effect on Dec. 15, following a statutory 45-day final review by the U.S. Congress and the state of California. One of the main points of contention was an offshore wind farm approved by the California Energy Commission earlier this year. The farm, with hundreds of giant turbines floating in the ocean 32 miles off the coast of the small central California city of Morro Bay, has the potential to supply up to 3 gigawatts of clean energy to the grid, providing power to more than 1 million homes. This is enough to supply electricity.
The tribe was concerned about the impact of increased ocean noise on whales, fish, and other marine life, as well as the construction of ports that would need to be built to transport energy. Morro Bay is home to one of the last remaining populations of southern sea otters, and environmentalists have expressed concern about increased boat traffic through the proposed port.
I feel complete, like I have fulfilled my promise and obligation to my family and the planet.
violet sage walker
“We’re sticking to what we can do right now, and that’s our biggest success, but there’s still more work to do,” Walker said.
The approved plan is significantly smaller than the 7,670 square miles of ocean area originally proposed by the tribe. Morro Bay, which was also included in the tribe’s original plan, was excluded from the reservation.
In 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) conducted an environmental study of the potential impacts of offshore wind energy activities in the central California coastal region and found “no significant impacts to environmental resources.”
The sanctuary had widespread support from senators and members of the U.S. Congress. Democratic Congressman Saldo Carvajal, whose district includes parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria along the boundaries of the preserve, is among the indigenous leaders who helped advocate for these protections. He said, “I am grateful.”
Historic designation coming soon
Salud Carvajal
“Historic designation for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is not going to happen anytime soon,” he told the Guardian in an email. “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.”
Mr. Carvajal participated in negotiations between tribes, local communities, and federal and state entities to reach a compromise that would allow offshore wind development off the coast of Morro Bay.
Although the tribe does not intend to manage the preserve, Paul Michel, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration West Coast Regional Reserve Coordinator, said that Noah is “a collaborative member of the preserve to provide respectful and meaningful engagement.” “We will establish a joint management and management system,” he added. Consists of representatives and partners from multiple local tribes and indigenous communities. ”
As for Walker, who has been fighting for sanctuary status for the past three years, she says she plans to take some much-needed time off. “I just want to enjoy the moment,” she said. “So, I’m going to ride my horse and relax before I head off on my next mission.”
