Congresswoman [Lois] Capps’ strong endorsement of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary ensures its eventual approval. The waters off the Central Coast deserve protection for many reasons. They contain a blend of northern and southern ocean currents, wind, animals, and plants that make the area ideal for studying climate change. Research projects and marine sanctuaries are given extra points. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has more than 25 projects with an annual combined budget of more than $120 million.
Along with the regular benefits of a sanctuary (600 jobs and $23 million in annual income), this will help to replace the tax revenue of the soon-to-be-closed Diablo nuclear power plant. Last year, the British Broadcasting Company wanted to do a series on the theme “miracle of nature.” Of all the places in the world, they chose the Monterey Bay sanctuary and documented in Big Blue Live how an area that had been made into an ocean desert by overfishing (think Cannery Row) was able to revive and now has a thriving ecosystem. Sanctuaries use ecosystem-based management. They allow for such projects as green energy so long as they demonstrate no significant harm to the ecosystem. You can support the sanctuary at chumashsanctuary.com.
This article appears in Jun 9-16, 2016.