Northern Chumash Tribal Council Celebrates Milestone
PRESS RELEASE
Avila Beach/Tsipxatu, CA — Designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS) entered its final phase today when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This major milestone is one of the last hurdles to clear in the decades-long campaign led by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC) to protect the Central California coastline, submerged cultural sites, ocean habitat, and abundant wildlife held sacred to the Chumash Peoples for millennia. Final Sanctuary designation is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Violet Sage Walker, Chairwoman, Northern Chumash Tribal Council “This is a huge moment for the Chumash People and all who have tirelessly supported our campaign over the years. My father, the late Chief Fred Collins, began the journey to protect these sacred waters many years ago and we have been so proud to continue his work. I am delighted to celebrate his vision, today’s success, and the future of our People who will always be connected to past, present, and future by this special stretch of coastline and the true magic its waters hold.”
The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is the first Tribally nominated national marine sanctuary in the history of the United States and the first new sanctuary in California in over 25 years. When finalized later this year, it will provide an exceptional opportunity for the National Marine Sanctuary Program and Central Coast Indigenous Peoples to collaboratively protect, manage, and steward the area’s rich ecological and cultural resources, drawing from generational Tribal Ecological Knowledge, diverse community input, and innovative academic research.
The Sanctuary will prohibit new oil drilling and mining within its boundaries and support climate solutions by promoting the health of kelp forests and other ocean habitats that serve a host of vital ecosystem functions, including carbon storage. It will protect a globally significant ecological transition zone that is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including many at-risk species such as snowy plovers, southern sea otters, leatherback sea turtles, black abalone, and blue whales. The Sanctuary will also provide opportunities to advance cultural and environmental education and outreach.
Today’s announcement is a testament to the lifelong vision and dedication of Fred Collins, the late Northern Chumash Tribal Council Chair, who originally nominated the Sanctuary in 2015. “Grandmother Ocean has been providing life to the Chumash Peoples for over ten thousand years, now is the time for all communities to work together and assist her in rebuilding her Vibrant Thrivability for all future generations,” said Collins before he passed into spirit on October 1, 2021.
Following today’s release of the FEIS, Sanctuary designation will enter a 30-day period before designation documents can be issued. We anticipate the final designation documents, including the final management plan and regulations, to be released October 7, 2024. This will trigger a 45-day Congressional and State review, leading to finalized designation in December 2024.
The Northern Chumash Tribal Council and Chumash Sanctuary campaign partners extend our thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration for prioritizing federal ocean protection and for championing the designation of this groundbreaking sanctuary. We hope this is the first of many more Tribally nominated and Tribally co-stewarded national marine sanctuaries.
“We anticipate final designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary,” said Gabriel Frausto, Chairman, Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation. “For us, this means the opportunity to collaboratively-manage and protect our sacred lands and waters, to support our efforts for cultural revitalization, and continue in restoring our traditional practices and reinforcing our tribal sustainability and sovereignty.”
“The Central Coast has pursued this sanctuary designation for decades, and as someone who's been helping push for it in Washington since I first got to Congress I am so pleased to see us passing the final checkpoint on our way to seeing the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary made official before the end of this year," said Congressman Salud Carbajal. "This historic designation will come not a moment too soon. Our oceans and our communities are facing unprecedented challenges from a changing marine environment, this new sanctuary comes at a critical time for our region. I look forward to working with our tribal and local stakeholders and federal partners to finalize these boundaries – which will nearly double the coastline protected along the Central Coast – and build on them to protect every coastal community and ecosystem in our region."
“This sanctuary shows the power of local community engagement,” said Gianna Patchen, Chapter Coordinator of the Santa Lucia Sierra Club Chapter. “The Sierra Club is honored to be a longtime partner of NCTC and our local communities, whose work made this possible. Over the last 15 years, Central Coast residents from Tribal Elders to college students have tabled at the farmer’s market, knocked on doors, sent postcards and emails, circulated petitions, and organized and attended meetings on behalf of the marine sanctuary. We are so pleased to see our community’s hard work come to fruition.”
"The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would protect over 5,600 square miles of coastal and marine habitat – and benefit our region by the research and tourism dollars that the sanctuary designation will bring,” said Senator John Laird. “The release of the Final EIR puts us one step away from the final designation. I am grateful for the leadership and years of advocacy by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, the Sierra Club, and tens of thousands of local residents. I am proud to have been part of this effort to sustain the beauty and vitality of the Pacific Ocean along the Central Coast – and look forward to the sanctuary designation and implementation."
"I celebrate the upcoming designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary! My deepest gratitude goes to Chairwoman Violet Sage Walker, the late Chairman Fred Collins, and the Northern Chumash Tribal Council for their unwavering commitment to protecting their marine and cultural heritage. This community-driven effort sets a powerful precedent for future ocean protections shaped by local voices. I am also grateful to all who stood with the Chumash people, including our Latino communities. The ocean is vital to our lives and the air we breathe. This is a moment to celebrate, now and for generations to come!" Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation
“The Environmental Defense Center has long advocated for expanded protections of the Santa Barbara Channel and Central Coast, and we are delighted to see the advancement of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary that brings us one step closer to this goal,” said Alex Katz, Executive Director of the Environmental Defense Center. “We are grateful for the leadership and guidance of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council in this nomination process. The Council’s tireless efforts to establish this Sanctuary will protect sacred submerged Chumash sites and incredible marine resources and wildlife for generations to come.”
"Protecting these submerged ancient villages from future industrial encroachment will ensure the resting places of their ancestors remain undisturbed,” said Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue. “The cultural significance of Chumash heritage makes this National Marine Sanctuary the only one of its kind. Bravo to the Northern Chumash Tribal Council for leading this very important nomination as a National Marine Sanctuary and as a key part of the international network of Hope Spots."
“The designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is a transformational moment for our coastal California waters and all stewards of our shared ocean. Truly, the first Indigenous-nominated sanctuary is an historic achievement for our country, benefiting the natural wonders of these waters as well as the people and communities that are at the heart of its story,” said Joel R. Johnson, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. “The designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary advances ocean justice and equity by protecting ancestral waters and upholding the Central Coast Tribes’ traditional knowledge and ways of stewarding cultural and marine resources.”
“This stunning stretch of coast has long been a central part of life for Indigenous people. Their efforts to designate the Chumash Heritage National marine sanctuary is a gift to us all. It’s a celebration of a place that has always had a sanctuary in their hearts and now they are sharing that with everyone,” said Dr. Steve Palumbi from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. Dr. Palumbi is currently collaborating with the Northern Chumash Tribal Council to combine Indigenous and Western science in the proposed Chumash Heritage Sanctuary waters.
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Media Contacts:
Violet Sage Walker - reach out to Megan Fosha (214-679-2866, mfosha@signaldc.com)
Gabriel Frausto - reach Gabriel, Chairman, Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation at (805-568-8063, cbcntribalchair@gmail.com)
Maite Arce - reach out to Karina Meza, Chief of Communications at Hispanic Access Foundation (240-778-3695, karina@hispanicaccess.org)
Joel Johnson - reach out to Chip Weiskotten, Director of Communications at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (518-669-3936, chip@marinesanctuary.org)
Gianna Patchen - reach Gianna at (805-543-8717, Santa.lucia@sierraclub.org)
Dr. Sylvia Earle - reach out to Huntley Penniman, Director of Communications for Mission Blue for press inquiries (hpenniman@missionblue.org) and Shannon Rake, Hope Spots Program Manager for Mission Blue for Hope Spot Inquiries (srake@missionblue.org)
Dr. Steven Palumbi - reach Dr. Palumbi at (831-601-7002, spalumbi@stanford.edu)
Northern Chumash Tribal Council
Established in 2006, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council (NCTC) is a California non-profit corporation 501(c)(3) and a State Recognized Tribal Government under the guidelines of the state of California Senate Bill 18. Our mission is to offer a foundation for Chumash people to bring our Culture and Heritage back to life, to create dignity with the people, and to educate the public that the Chumash have always been here, we have not gone anywhere, and we will always be here, one continuum. We are Chumash, by our cultural understanding we have lived on the Central Coast of California since time immemorial. https://northernchumash.org/
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Campaign
The Campaign supports the Northern Chumash Tribal Council’s efforts to secure designation of the Sanctuary. The Campaign is supported by dozens of conservation, Tribal, community, environmental justice, science, education, business, and other partners. https://chumashsanctuary.org/
