Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze Attends Public Meeting on Proposed California Coastal National Monument Expansion

Date: September 19, 2016
Contacts: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

CAMBRIA, Calif. – On Friday, Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze joined Representative Lois Capps and California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, as well as other federal, state, local and tribal officials, to listen to members of the community on their vision for the management of public lands on the California Coast, and the proposed California Coastal National Monument Expansion. 

Director Kornze thanked Senator Barbara Boxer and Representatives Lois Capps, Anna Eshoo and Jared Huffman for the invitation to visit the region, his second trip to an area proposed for inclusion in the Monument. Kornze joined the community to hear about conservation proposals for the California coast, including the legislative proposal to expand the California Coastal National Monument.  

“The iconic scenery of the California coast is beloved by millions of Americans," said Director Kornze. "For decades, local communities have worked to protect the most special places on the coast, and Senator Boxer’s and Representatives Capps, Eshoo, and Huffman’s outstanding efforts to listen to those communities and work with them to bring about this proposal were evident. Opportunities like this to hear directly from the local and tribal communities about their vision for conservation and land management are essential to our work as land managers.”

The proposed legislative expansion would protect 6,200 additional acres and build on the 2014 expansion, which provided the first shoreline access to the monument. This addition would provide access for millions of Americans to breathtaking panoramic views of the coast, sightings of humpback whales and elephant seals from the shore, and cultural sites with a rich history going back hundreds of years.  It includes the Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area in San Luis Obispo County, Lighthouse Ranch and Trinidad Head in Humboldt County, Rocks and Islands in Orange County, the Cotoni-Coast Dairies in Santa Cruz County and Lost Coast Headlands.

These Members of Congress have also asked the President to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand the California Coastal National Monument. The public meeting builds on community efforts going back more than a decade to protect the most special places on the California coast, and contributes to the Administration’s ongoing work to support locally-driven efforts to preserve and protect places that hold special meaning to communities across the country.

The California coast provides significant recreation opportunities for local communities, for the many nearby metropolitan areas, and for visitors from around the world. The areas proposed for protection contain opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding, birdwatching and beachcombing. These uses would be protected and greatly enhanced under the Senator and Representatives’ proposal.