Kathleen,
We had a blast closing out the summer in Southern California with all of you on the iconic Arctic Sunrise — and we had lots of reasons to gather. We demanded Bumble Bee address their links to supply vessels implicated in forced labor, we showed the world we're determined to make the Global Oceans Treaty a reality by unveiling our path to protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030, and we welcomed the public from all walks of life to tour a real working vessel — the Arctic Sunrise — to learn about all that we can accomplish together to protect our oceans, our climate, and ourselves.
We're not done yet! It's time to roll up your sleeves and fight to establish the country's first tribally nominated and Indigenous co-managed ocean sanctuary off the central coast of California.
In 2015, a broad coalition of local leaders, organizations, and businesses, led by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC), submitted a formal nomination to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Nearly 10 years later, this multigeneration effort moved one step closer to becoming a reality as NOAA released a proposal to designate a 5,617-square-mile area offshore of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties in Central California as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
While this is a great start, it is not enough. We must urge NOAA to support the swift designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary with the Initial Boundary Alternative and Gaviota Coast Extension to cover about 7,600 square miles of ocean proposed to protect biodiversity and habitats. Add your name to our demands now.
The release of this proposal opened the final and defining public comment period for the proposed sanctuary nomination.
NOAA is now asking for input from all stakeholders on the draft documents for the proposed national marine sanctuary. Add your name to tell NOAA you support the Chumash Heritage Sanctuary now.
Your feedback will directly influence what the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary ultimately looks like. Our elected leaders need to hear your voice now to ensure we not only get the sanctuary, but that it's the largest possible proposal with the strongest protections and most inclusive collaborative stewardship.
Please help us get as many signatures as possible before the comment period closes on October 25th! Let's make the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary a reality!
For our oceans,
Arlo Hemphill, Project Lead for Ocean Sanctuaries
Greenpeace USA
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