Community Corner
National Monuments, Sanctuaries at Risk, Huffman Hosts Ocean Forum in Sausalito
On Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 10:30 a.m., Congressman Huffman (D-San Rafael) will host a forum on protecting national marine sanctuaries
The 24 August deadline for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to give recommendations to President Trump on whether to alter dozens of national monuments is near, yet there is little transparency on which sites the administration could target for reductions or even wholesale elimination.
Under review are 27 national monuments created since 1996, the majority of which are larger than 100,000 acres.
On Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 10:30 a.m., Congressman Huffman (D-San Rafael) will host a forum on protecting national marine sanctuaries and monuments featuring Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough), local elected officials, business leaders, and ocean experts.
The forum, which will be held at the Bay Model Visitor Center, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA, will highlight the benefits of these federal designations for ocean health and coastal economies, including fishing, outdoor recreation, and tourism, and examine the threat of President Trump's Executive Order 13795, which reviews all designations and expansions of National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments since 2007.
"It is critical for the public to add their voice in support of these national wilderness treasures," said David McGuire, director of the Bay Area non-profit Shark Stewards. "We have dived and studied sharks and reefs in some of these regions and these marine protected areas host the healthiest fish and marine ecosystems in American waters. We cannot let the President direct the Secretary of the Interior to loot our natural legacy."
Learn more and add your voice here.
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WASHINGTON—President Trump announced a plan to consider scaling back protection of 27 national monuments around the country with serious potential impacts on marine, land and cultural resources. By signing The Executive Order on the Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act, Trump authorizes Secretary Ryan Zinke at the Department of the Interior to review all national monument designations on federal public land since 1996 that are 100,000 acres or more in size. This Act could potentially impact over 1 billion acres of natural and cultural treasures on public lands and oceans that have been protected by presidents of both political parties.
