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Plans to designate marine sanctuary off the Central Coast released by federal government

Central Coast leaders will highlight the final step of designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary on Indigenous People's Day at Dinosaur Caves Park in Pismo Beach.
flickr.com/Piscina Studio
Central Coast leaders will highlight the final step of designating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary on Indigenous People's Day at Dinosaur Caves Park in Pismo Beach.

Plans to designate the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the Central Coast have been released. It's the final step to protect more than 100 miles of California coastline, from Gaviota to Pismo Beach.

The sanctuary is also the first ever national marine sanctuary to be nominated by an Indigenous group.

Violet Sage Walker, chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, has continued a legacy of advocating to protect the coast.

“Its a lifelong dream for our family and for my late father Fred Collins, the former Chief of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. It was just a dream come true and the most important thing he ever did in his life. So today was amazing. We got the announcement first thing this morning. It's been a really busy day,” Sage Walker said.

Sage Walker’s late father, Fred Collins, proposed plans to designate the sanctuary in 2015.

Local leaders will mark the accomplishment Monday, also known as Indigenous People’s Day, at Dinosaur Caves Park in Pismo Beach.

According to the federal government, Indigenous people have lived on California’s Central Coast for more than 10,000 years. Designating these waters as a sanctuary will help protect the cultural resources of Chumash tribes across the coast.

“Sanctuary designation was a tool that we thought was the best way to protect the ocean and our coastline, but it is by all means not the last step and there's a lot more to do,” Sage Walker said.

Governor Gavin Newsom has 45 days to veto the designation plans, but according to Congressman Salud Carbajal’s Office, that’s not expected to happen.

Gabriela Fernandez came to KCBX in May of 2022 as a general assignment reporter, and became news director in December of 2023. In September of 2024 she returned to reporting full time.
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