Huffman, Pelosi fight Trump at Sausalito forum over marine sanctuaries

August 23, 2017

With the Trump administration considering reducing the size of 11 marine sanctuaries — including two off Marin’s shores — Rep. Jared Huffman, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and others gathered at the Bay Model in Sausalito on Wednesday morning to rally support for the underwater parks.

In April, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13795 that included language that instructed the Department of Commerce to conduct a review of all designations and expansions of National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments since April 28, 2007, with an eye toward energy exploration. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has until Oct. 25 to submit his review to the president.

“It is a sham review of all designations and expansions of marine sanctuaries and national monuments since 2007,” Huffman, D-San Rafael, told more than 250 people who crowded into the Bay Model to hear a discussion on the topic. “Think about that for a second. This president wants to keep monuments to Confederate leaders and their rebellion against the United States, but he wants to shut down the public national monuments that protect uniquely American landscapes and oceans for future generations.”

The United States has more than a dozen national marine sanctuaries in a system designated by Congress and run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to protect and preserve “biodiversity, ecological integrity and cultural legacy.”

The move was part of the Trump administration’s “America-First Offshore Energy Strategy” and there is concern the areas could be opened for oil drilling and gas exploration.

“We have a moral and practical responsibility to protect these waters, ensuring their bounty endures for responsible fishing, for research, for recreation and for future generations,” said Pelosi, D-San Francisco. “The Trump administration’s assault on our sanctuaries and its reckless drilling agenda threatens our coastal culture.”

Waters off Marin could be affected under the federal review.

In 2015, NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries expanded the boundaries of Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries.

The move expanded the Gulf of the Farallones from 1,279 square miles to 3,293 square miles. Cordell Bank increased from 529 square miles to 1,286 square miles. The boundaries were expanded westward off Marin’s coast, as well as north to Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

The two sanctuaries are destination feeding areas for endangered blue whales and humpback whales, sharks, salmon and seabirds such as albatrosses that travel tens of thousands of miles. Food in the area supports the largest assemblage of breeding seabirds in the contiguous United States on the Farallon Islands, according to NOAA.

“There should have been congressional hearings and extensive public comment on his attempt to reverse public protections for these special places,” Huffman said, noting Republican and Democratic presidents have supported the areas. “We are taking matters into our own hands today.”

Marine sanctuaries drive economic growth by supporting tourism, recreation, commercial fishing, research and educational activities in local coastal communities, Huffman and others said. Marine sanctuaries generate $8 billion and support over 70,000 jobs in coastal communities, according to NOAA.

“These areas are vital for our coastal economy,” Huffman said.

Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, noted fishermen were behind the expansion of the two local sanctuaries.

“As fishermen, we hold dear our roles as stewards of the oceans that we ply,” he said. “Today, these sanctuaries represent the best of our nation’s stewardship policies.”


Source: by Mark Prado