Around 11,766 straight kilometers ( 4,543 square miles ) of sea off the slide of Central California has now officially become the United States ’ recent interior marine sanctuary . Not only is the new protected area the third big of its kind in the country , but it ’s also the first that will be lead in partnership with Indigenous Peoples .
The sanctuary , which was first proposed to be nominated as such by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council back 2015 , has been named the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary . It is the first marine protect area in 30 years that will be specifically managed for biodiversity conservation .
That ’s because the area is home to a rich array of marine life and environmental features , which , allot to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA ) , have fare under threat from human activities andclimate change .
“ This sanctuary husband the area ’s rich biodiversity and creates new opportunities for research , and creditworthy recreation and tourism , ensuring this unbelievable ecosystem is protected for future generations to experience and relish , ” say John Armor , director of NOAA ’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries , in astatement .
Conservation efforts in the sanctuary will includeprotectionsfrom industry activities like fresh seaward gas and crude oil exploration , as well as theprohibitionof waste discharge , and regulations to ensure that species native to the area are not trouble andnon - native speciesare not introduced .
A critical element in the development of these regulations and the sanctuary ’s direction programme was the involvement and cognition of the Chumash Peoples , who have lived along and conserved the California coastline for G of old age .
“ We ’re still here , and so are the endemic masses wherever you be , ” Violet Sage Walker , president of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council , toldNPR . “ Being able to speak climate change , use traditional ecologic noesis , and enter in co - direction is Indigenous people ’ contribution to saving the planet . ”
However , the appendage of designating the area has not been without unfavorable judgment . Some havesaidthere was not enough consultation with Indigenous communities , while others have criticize the fact that the last boundary of the sanctuary were made smaller than was ab initio proposed in club to account foroffshore winddevelopment . NOAA has say enlargement of the sanctuary ’s boundary will be considered in the hereafter .
“ compromise were made , but I think that ’s the way we also move forward with addressing climate change , ” Walker told NPR . “ handle with renewable green get-up-and-go is not always easy . ”
While the sanctuary is now officially designate as such , the unconscious process does n’t cease there – the next step will be to make a sanctuary consultative council , which will let in representative from Indigenous communities .
“ The Chumash Tribal government never relinquished its native right field to manage our traditional homelands , ” Kenneth Kahn , chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians , tell . “ We are grateful that NOAA recognizes this inherent sovereignty and welcomed us as a co - stewards of the sanctuary that give birth our name . This is a meter for solemnization . ”
