California Coastal National Monument

California Coastal National Monument
Stornetta Public Lands unit
Area2,272 acres (919 ha)[1]
CreatedJanuary 11, 2000 (2000-01-11)[2]
Governing bodyBureau of Land Management
WebsiteOfficial website
Harbor seals resting on surf grass, in sight of some of the many rocks protected by the California Coastal National Monument
Sea Arch and high surf near Point Arena, CCNM

The California Coastal National Monument is located along the entire coastline of the U.S. state of California. This monument ensures the protection of all islets, reefs and rock outcroppings along the coast of California within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of shore along the entire 840-mile (1,350 km) long coastline. Conservative estimates are for at least 20,000 such outcroppings.[3] The monument was created by Bill Clinton via Presidential proclamation on January 11, 2000, with the authority in section two of the Antiquities Act of 1906. As of 2014, the monument has expanded to 2,272 acres (919 ha). The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the monument, has developed gateways in cooperation with other agencies along the California coast to introduce the monument to the public. These include the Trinidad, Point Arena, Fort Bragg-Mendocino, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.[4] Although being the most-viewed national monument in California, people are usually unaware that the entire coastline is a national monument.[4]

  1. ^ "National Monument detail table as of April 2012" (PDF). Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  2. ^ "California Coastal National Monument, Proclamation". Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  3. ^ Janofsky, Michael (December 13, 1999). "Amid Protests, Land-Protection Plan Goes to President". New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  4. ^ a b California Coastal National Monument FY 2009 Manager's Report (PDF) (Report). Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.