• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Julia Brownley (D-Oxnard) are urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to finalize the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary with a larger footprint than the most recent federally proposed alternative and to include parameters that recognize the need for coexistence with future offshore wind development and ensure that the sanctuary can serve as a model for co-stewardship with local indigenous communities, according to a Feb. 26 statement from Carbajal’s office. The initial proposed boundary for the sanctuary stretched from the bottom of the existing Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, north of Morro Bay, to the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County. In a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the Central Coast lawmakers are urging the final sanctuary to keep to the initially proposed northern boundaries, including Morro Bay, as well as the Gaviota Coast extension. “Finalizing the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would fulfill many of our mutual ecological and economic priorities to continue to protect our treasured natural resources for generations to come, while advancing renewable energy and maintaining sustainable access for commercial and recreational fishing,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft plan and implementation strategy for the conservation and recovery of the Vandenberg monkeyflower, a federally endangered plant, according to a Feb. 23 statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Recovery plans are required for federally listed species and identify recovery actions that, when implemented, will achieve the plan’s goals for conservation and persistence of the species. “Our strategy is to systematically increase the monkeyflower’s population and ability to withstand potential threats until it is able to become self-sustaining throughout all the areas where it is found,” Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office Botanist Kristie Scarazzo said in the statement. “We are committed to working with our partners to effectively manage the populations adaptively, as we learn what is most likely to achieve recovery throughout the plant’s small range of habitat.” Vandenberg monkeyflower is an herbaceous annual plant, endemic to the Burton Mesa landform in southwestern Santa Barbara County. The primary threats to this species include invasive species, anthropogenic fire, recreation and other human activities, habitat loss from development (including military, state, and residential), utility and pipeline maintenance, and climate change. A 30-day public comment period is open until March 25. Submit comments by email to [email protected].
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) introduced the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Establishment Act, legislation that would establish a permanent nationwide water assistance program to help families afford their water bills, according to a Feb. 28 statement from Padilla’s office. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress appropriated more than $1 billion in 2021 to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families to help low-income households pay their drinking water and wastewater bills. From June 2021 through September 2023, LIHWAP served more than 1.4 million households, restored water and wastewater services 100,479 times, prevented disconnections 753,558 times, and reduced 679,030 water bills, supporting more than 16,000 water and wastewater systems in low-income, tribal, rural, and urban communities. While LIHWAP funding is available in California through March 2024, the program needs congressional authorization to continue. “Access to safe, affordable water is a basic necessity, but skyrocketing drinking water and sanitation costs have left far too many American families unable to make their water utility payments,” Padilla said in the statement. “Just like home energy and nutrition assistance, water rate assistance is crucial for public health and economic prosperity. This program has proven to uplift vulnerable communities across the country, and it’s past time we make it permanent.”
