Morro Bay must be at the heart of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary | Opinion
Regardless of whether you live near or far from the touch of her waves, you are tied to the ocean. She dictates our weather, safeguards us against climate change and feeds our families. Everyone is a stakeholder of the ocean, so everyone should weigh in on the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and the future of our coast.
As the Chumash Heritage Sanctuary’s final public comment period draws to a close on Oct. 25, let’s keep our focus on why we’re pushing for a sanctuary. We are here to protect the giver of all life: Grandmother Ocean. She is why the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and our partners have spent 40 years inching closer to protecting the Central Coast. She is why this week’s milestone for the Sanctuary is so meaningful. This is the most important thing we have ever done for our coast.
Opinion
For millennia, the Northern Chumash have cared for the lands and waters now called San Luis Obispo County. My late father, Chair Fred Collins, dreamed of making these waters a marine sanctuary, with Morro Bay as its hub. He saw the sanctuary as an opportunity for long-lasting environmental and cultural protection. After his passing in 2021, I knew I had to carry on our dream.
That’s why I’m writing to say that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) recently released draft proposal for the Chumash Sanctuary needs significant improvement. This draft excludes about 2,000 square miles, leaving Morro Bay to Cambria — at risk of becoming an industrial corridor and a “sacrifice zone.” If left out, it would be the only stretch of unprotected waters in almost 19,000 square miles of continuous marine sanctuary protection along the California coast.
One reason for the exclusion of this land is California’s pursuit of offshore wind energy; specifically, accommodating the large cables needed to bring energy from wind turbines to the power grid. I appreciate the federal government’s challenge of balancing potential offshore wind with a protected sanctuary. While our tribal council initially participated in responsibly sited and permitted offshore wind, it’s unacceptable to omit 2,000 square miles of ocean from the sanctuary.
If renewable energy developers are allowed to run afoul of habitat protection and cultural preservation just like fossil fuel interests do, what’s the point? NOAA should collaborate with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to find better solutions that do not leave Morro Bay and large swaths of the coastline vulnerable to industrialization, which could include deep-sea mining and offshore oil. These agencies must route offshore wind cables in a more consolidated way, taking more care to avoid sensitive biodiversity hotspots, endangered species and sacred sites.
There is so much at risk here. Morro Bay holds deep importance to our Chumash community. My tribe believes Morro Bay is a sacred place, one of the seven wonders of the world. Yet Morro Bay’s history of environmental degradation spans generations, and we do not want to see this legacy of disrespect continue.
Morro Bay is also essential to the Chumash Sanctuary for economic reasons. The Northern Chumash Tribal Council has already partnered with institutions like Pew and Stanford to bring in millions of dollars to conduct baseline monitoring within the proposed sanctuary. The research enabled our tribe to develop a robust economic development and job creation strategy for the proposed sanctuary that will generate $23 million annually for the local economy and create almost 600 jobs. Morro Bay is uniquely situated to host the sanctuary’s education center, an aquarium, science facilities and boats for fishing and whale watching.
A smaller sanctuary would reduce the benefits for fishermen. Local fishermen know well that the quality, quantity and cost per pound of Monterey Bay fishing has increased steadily ever since that sanctuary has been in place. Inappropriate industrial development in Morro Bay poses a threat to their livelihood as well as ours.
When it comes to protecting the majority of California’s coastline, there’s just one missing piece: the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Tell NOAA and BOEM you support the Chumash Sanctuary protecting the entire stretch of the Central Coast, with Morro Bay at its heart.
Violet Sage Walker serves as chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and nominator of the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. She lives in Guadalupe Bay, California.
