Biden administration designates first-ever indigenous-proposed marine sanctuary

The Biden administration on Friday designated thousands of miles of California coastline as a national marine sanctuary — for the first time doing so based on a proposal from Indigenous people. 

The new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be the nation’s 17th marine sanctuary and protect local marine life. 

The sanctuary will span 4,543 square miles and is home to marine life including blue whales and leatherback sea turtles. 

The sanctuary was first proposed by Fred Collins, who was then the leader of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council.

“Our community is a vibrant, bright community and it’s as passionate today about protecting our coastline and taking care of our animals and plants as it’s ever been,” Violet Sage Walker, chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and Collins’s daughter told The Hill last month.