News

PRESS RELEASE San Luis Obispo, CA – On the anniversary of the late Chief Fred Collins’ birthday, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council announced their inaugural distribution of the Fred Collins Environmental Warrior Student Scholarship. In honor of Chief Collins’ legacy, this scholarship will be awarded annually to a student pursuing a career in environmental and […]

Northern Chumash Tribal Council Chairwoman and Sanctuary Nominator Violet Sage Walker has the honor of presenting at the international Our Ocean 2022 conference in Palau. Her remarks will be streamed LIVE Wednesday April 13 between 6:10 pm and 7:25 pm PDT (9:10 pm - 10:25 pm EDT) on the conference website. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for the specific time […]

PRESS RELEASE Los Osos, California – More than 30,000 people expressed their support for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, according to analysis of comments submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and posted on regulations.gov. The 83-day public comment period, part of NOAA’s scoping process for the Chumash Heritage NMS off […]

PRESS RELEASE Santa Barbara, California – Yesterday, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a resolution of support for the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS). Santa Barbara County Supervisors Das Williams; Gregg Hart and Steve Lavagnino joined Chair Bob Nelson and Vice Chair Joan Hartmann to express their […]

PRESS RELEASE Washington, DC – Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a Notice of Intent advancing the public process to designate the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS). Violet Sage Walker, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council Chairwoman hails this announcement as a crucial first step towards President Biden’s initiative to conserve and […]

BY LEON E. PANETTA OCT. 22, 2021  Although I spent most of my career in Washington, D.C., my home and heart have always been along California’s beautiful Central Coast. Growing up along the shores of Monterey Bay inspired my lifelong commitment to promoting responsible stewardship of our oceans. California’s ocean has been integral to its culture […]

Sierra Club has reprinted the recent Real Clear Policy op-ed by Violet Sage Walker, traditional vice-chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribe, in their latest newsletter and it would be great if folks could lift it up!  In the op-ed Violet describes the opportunity for the Biden Administration to designate the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary […]

When and where we dive with Nautilus has been a moving target this past week with equipment failures and bad weather conditions (wind and swell). We’ve be hiding in the lee of Channel Islands and just completed two dives over the past two days. A week sooner than anticipated – we all rallied and Lizzie […]

Carbajal, Feinstein Applaud NOAA Decision to Keep Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary on Nomination List Washington, D.C. – Congressman Salud Carbajal and Senator Feinstein applauded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on their recent decision to keep the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary on the nomination list for designation as a marine sanctuary. “Marine sanctuaries play an essential […]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has completed our five-year review of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary nomination and determined that this nomination continues to meet the 11 sanctuary nomination process criteria. The nomination will remain on the inventory of areas NOAA may consider in the future for national […]