Biden Administration Close To Naming First National Marine Sanctuary Site Designated By A Tribe, Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

MORRO BAY, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: A humpback whale's tail is visible as it feeds in the Pacific Ocean, in a marine area which is currently recommended for exclusion from the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary along California’s Central Coast, on September 21, 2023 near Morro Bay, California. The sanctuary would be the first national marine sanctuary in the country nominated by an Indigenous tribe and will protect ocean ecosystems, marine life and cultural sites while prohibiting energy development. Tribal members held a rally yesterday to call for the Morro Bay area which includes Morro Rock, a tribal sacred point, to be included inside the sanctuary. Tribal members of the Chumash would co-steward the 5,617-square-mile area as part of the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful conservation efforts to restore 30 percent of waters and lands in the U.S. by 2030. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)