Happy Monday Fellow Coastal Defenders!
Here at Surfrider, we take seriously our mission to not only
protect the ocean, waves and beaches but also to ENJOY them. After all, we are driven to protect what we love. Let’s
take a moment to reflect on the enjoyment factor here!
Over the weekend, California Policy Manager Jennifer Savage spent some time with the pinnipeds and cetaceans in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
That’s one sure way to connect with Mother Ocean. If you’ve never visited, check out Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and California State Parks – Monterey Region. Highly recommend!
Indeed, if we don’t take the time to enjoy these places how
can we be motivated to protect them? And protecting special places like these,
on land and offshore, is paramount to what Surfrider is all about!
In fact, last week, at the California Coastal Commission meeting in Salinas, we supported an enforcement decision that set an amazing precedent for addressing illegal wetlands destruction that took place in part of our state network of marine protected areas up in Marin County.
Wetlands help filter storm water and agricultural runoff, sequester carbon, provide flood protection and a whole lot more! With several more marine protected areas surrounding Bodega Bay, where the watershed of the impacted wetland drains, the illegal destruction also has implications for special places offshore.
We’re happy to report that the Coastal Commission ordered the wetlands to be restored, placed into a conservation easement and a monetary penalty imposed! For more information on this, visit ActCoastal.org.