Designated in December 2024, the new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is America’s 17th national marine sanctuary, the sixth off the U.S. West Coast, and is one of the largest in the National Marine Sanctuary System. The success of the 20 year effort was due to tenacious leadership by numerous indigenous tribes, including a key leadership role taken by Violet Sage Walker, the tribal chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. 

The sanctuary encompasses 4,543 square miles of Central California’s beautiful coastal and ocean waters, providing protection to nationally significant natural, cultural, and historical resources while bringing new opportunities for research, community engagement, and education and outreach activities. The project is demonstrating a balanced effort to restore the extraordinary marine biodiversity--some of which has been lost only in the past 40 years or so---with benefits to people such as the local indigenous fishing industry that has witnessed precipitous declines in salmon populations in recent times.

Learn More :

Northern Chumash Tribal Council Site

Interviews/Talks with Violet Sage Walker:

Women Mind the Water

Offshore Wind California Summit

Article from Park Stewardship Forum

This episode was produced by Chrissie Bodznick with music by Trace Ketterling.

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