About the same time Caity Simmers and John John Florence were hoisting world title trophies overhead, or Caity was trying to (those things are so dang heavy), The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the final environmental impact statement for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary . The current plan would protect 4,543 square miles along 116 miles of California’s central coast.
The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would start south of Morro Bay, close to the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, and stretch south through the surf-rich Hollister Ranch zone and Point Conception, reaching all the way to Gaviota. Extending into the Pacific Ocean, as part of the give-and-take nature of the negotiations over the protected space, the boundaries are not expected to include areas where offshore wind turbines are currently planned to be built or where wind energy transmission cables are expected to be laid.
Up next, NOAA must now wait 30 days before making its final decision on the sanctuary. Should things go smoothly over the next month, by this time in October NOAA could be releasing their final regulations and final management plan for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.