Dear Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Peters, and distinguished members of the
Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard.
It is an honor for the Northern Chumash Tribal Council to have present the designation documents for
the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and to have engaged with the local Indigenous
communities and local communities in an ongoing overwhelming manner in the Central Coast of
California to present the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary that is for all Americans and
inland communities which care deeply about these national treasures.
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As we count down 2016 we want to address some 
California’s Central Coast is an area of extraordinary biodiversity. Endangered whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, pelicans and other wildlife thrive here, feeding on rich nutrient upwellings. The new Chumash National Marine Sanctuary would stretch from Gaviota, near the recent oil spill, to Cambria, terminus of the Monterey Bay NMS. Sanctuary status for this area would prohibit oil development, seismic testing, dumping of agriculture wastewater, and other threats. Comprehensive ecosystem management would ensure the health of the marine habitat.
