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Leaders host public meeting on expanding the coastal national monument

by via The Wilderness Society
California congressional leaders host public meeting on expanding the coastal national monument. Expansion will improve public access, recreation, conservation and economic activity.
the_wilderness_society.jpg
SEP 17, 2016, Cambria, CA - The Wilderness Society commends California Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Lois Capps, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Congressman Jared Huffman for their steadfast leadership advocating for the permanent protection of extraordinary wildlands and historic sites along the California coast.

Yesterday’s public meeting demonstrated the diversity of support that exists for making the national treasure that is the California Coastal National Monument more accessible to the public by further expanding it to the mainland.

Boxer, Capps, Eshoo and Huffman have introduced the California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act in the Senate and House, S. 1971 and H.R. 3565 respectively. These bills are cosponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein and 28 members of Congress. Boxer, Capps, Eshoo and Huffman have also called on President Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand the California Coastal National Monument to include Trinidad Head, the Lost Coast Headlands and Lighthouse Ranch in Humboldt County, the Cotoni Coast Dairies in Santa Cruz County, Piedras Blancas in San Luis Obispo County and rocks and islands crucial to sea birds and mammals off the coast of Orange County.

Dan Smuts, Senior Director for the Pacific Region at The Wilderness Society, commented, “In 2014, President Obama took an important first step by expanding the California Coastal National Monument to include the Stornetta public lands. We should build on that success by permanently safeguarding critical wildlife habitat, sources of clean air and water, historic lighthouses and inspirational landscapes along our coast. We applaud these lawmakers for giving the public an opportunity to speak up for our shared heritage. An expansion of the monument will bring better public access, improved recreational opportunities and increased tourism which supports local businesses.”

Capps and other elected officials hosted a public meeting in Cambria, California, to hear from constituents, stakeholders and local residents about possible next steps for this conservation effort. The director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Neil Kornze, and other officials were also on hand to gather public input on the monument expansion effort and heard strong support from tribal, elected official and business voices from the affected local communities.

About 1,100 miles of the state’s coastline, mostly offshore rocks and islands that are inaccessible, have already been designated as a national monument. The national monument expansion would permanently protect and help ensure access to onshore sites on California’s coast.


The Wilderness Society is the leading conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. Founded in 1935, and now with more than 700,000 members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 109 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. http://www.wilderness.org.

http://wilderness.org/press-release/california-congressional-leaders-host-public-meeting-expanding-coastal-national
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