Protect California’s Central Coast from offshore oil drilling by establishing a National Marine Sanctuary!

Oil-soaked pelicans, dead dolphins, closed beaches, fishing bans, and economic hardship for coastal businesses as a result of the most recent Santa Barbara-area spill remind us that Oil and Oceans Don’t Mix!

California’s Central Coast is an area of extraordinary biodiversity. Endangered whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, pelicans and other wildlife thrive here, feeding on rich nutrient upwellings.

The Sanctuary would stretch from Gaviota to Cambria, just south of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, and would prohibit oil development, seismic testing, dumping agriculture wastewater and other threats. Comprehensive ecosystem management would ensure the health of the marine habitat.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently expanded two Northern California sanctuaries and is evaluating potential new national marine sanctuaries. The California Central Coast is a prime candidate. We need a strong push from the public to get them to act now!

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Please include funds for Chumash Sanctuary designation in your upcoming budget

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I urge you to protect the ocean off of California by including an item in your agency’s budget for the next fiscal year for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary designation process.

California’s Central Coast is an area of extraordinary biodiversity. Endangered whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, pelicans and other wildlife thrive here, feeding on rich nutrient upwellings.

This area needs protection and sound science-based ecosystem management.

We have seen the devastating impacts of offshore oil spills, such as the May 2015 Plains Pipeline spill at Refugio on the Gaviota coast that killed hundreds of marine animals and birds. It's not too late to permanently protect the area to the north of this spill from this kind of harm.

Designating a National Marine Sanctuary is the only way to permanently protect this critical and unique marine ecosystem from oil extraction, seismic testing, polluted wastewater and other threats and to increase its resilience in the face of climate change and ocean acidification.

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will fill a critical gap between the Monterrey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, thereby providing a long-term legacy of ocean and wildlife protection for our children and grandchildren.

Including funds for the designation process in the next budget you send to Congress will be a great help in achieving this goal.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

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