An older gray whale makes its presence known near the Channel Islands as seen from an Island Packers boat in February.
I was pleased to see your article on “California Lawmakers Back Marine Sanctuary Designation” (News-Press, Sept. 2).
The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary could be an oceanic paradise. Already, the area is home to sea otters sleeping in tangles of kelp and lively coral reefs.
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal and Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla are doing the right thing in calling on the secretary of commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to better protect this incredible place from threats like oil drilling.
Personally, I’ve loved getting to know the sea otters and seals off the coast of California. And I want to ensure that future generations can also look out over the water and see the spray from the spout of a migrating whale.
The benefits of protecting our marine spaces are scientifically proven. We need biodiversity not only for its own sake, but also so the ocean and its creatures, and coastal communities, are more resilient in the face of climate change. Creating the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, which would bridge two existing sanctuaries to create a connected stretch of protected waters, is a huge step in the right direction.
NOAA and the Secretary of Commerce should move forward quickly and protect this incredible swath of ocean.
Meghan Hurley
Representing Environment California
(The website is environmentcalifornia.org.)
