Obama Expands CA Coastal Monument, Spurs New Generation of Coastal Stewards
Jan. 13, 2017 / By New America Media
Above: A view of Panther Beach, part of the Cotoni-Coast Dairies in Santa Cruz County and one of six sites designated by President Obama as part of the California Coastal National Monument. (Image courtesy of Wiki Commons).
President Obama’s announcement of a 6,230-acre expansion of the California Coastal National Monument puts the spotlight on the state’s coast just when rising seas and growing pressures to develop and drill threaten to erode access for millions.
It also provides a boost to a growing movement of activists and educators working to engage a new generation of Californians as stewards of the state’s storied 1,100-mile coastline.
“This designation is important because … it gets us to a place where monuments conserve natural resources and celebrate cultural treasures,” says Marce Gutierrez-Graudiņš, founder and executive director of Azul, a non-profit that works to empower the Latino community around coastal advocacy.
The expansion of the coastal monument includes six new sites located in Humboldt, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and Orange Counties. The move is being widely celebrated by coastal advocates across the state.