The Biden administration has advanced a massive marine sanctuary off the central California coast, long been sought by Native American tribes, with a promise to potentially expand its boundaries after offshore wind projects have moved forward.
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, if designated later this year, would be the third largest in the nation and would add a huge swath of ocean to President Joe Biden’s goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. waters by the end of the decade.
NOAA Sanctuaries released a final environmental review Friday, with a new boundary proposal for offshore wind access.
“Today, our Administration is taking a critical step toward designating the first Indigenous-proposed National Marine Sanctuary,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California senator, in a statement. “As a Senator, I was proud to support efforts to create the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off California’s coast to honor our commitments to Indigenous communities and promote natural spaces. President Biden and I will continue to protect, conserve and restore lands and waters in communities across our nation.”
