Contagious enthusiasm; Ann Cole, executive director of the Mendocino Land Trust, sums up the large-scale, community-wide effort that reached all the way to the White House and culminated in the historic designation of the Point Arena-Stornetta California Coastal National Monument.
“All those offshore rocks, exposed reefs and islands you see up and down the coast,” she says, “are part of the California Coastal National Monument; its definition is that it doesn”t touch the shore. This is the first time that a piece of the coastline has been given that status.”
During the year leading up to Obama”s executive proclamation on March 11th of 2014, adding the Pt. Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, the Mendocino Land Trust led a coalition of people in a campaign to make it a reality. They received a grant from The Land and Water Conservation Fund supporting Bureau of Land Management in its efforts to create more conservation lands across the country.
“We were involved in writing press releases, arranging conference calls, from local groups in Pt. Arena to the White House in Washington, D.C. This has been, from its inception, a people”s project and it has been so exciting and so much fun to have been a part of it.
“It was the first piece of legislation that Jared Huffman introduced to the legislature as a freshman Congressman, to expand the boundary of the existing Coastal National Monument to the land. It”s the first place, the only place in the state, where you can stand on the shore and be part of that. Huffman delivered a picture book, created by students at the Pacific Community Charter School in Pt. Arena, to President Obama,” says Cole.
Although in the end Huffman”s legislation did not pass the Senate, it was the initial effort that created the groundswell that brought the project to its fruition. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel came to Point Arena on November 9th, 2013, to attend a public meeting and was met by more than 300 people. They took her on a long hike; showed her student artwork; presented speakers from the Native American community and the Chamber of Commerce; and explained to her how important it was to protect this land and put it into conservation in perpetuity.
“It was so exciting for such a small community to get the attention of the Department of the Interior and the White House. We are proud to have had a role in it,” says Cole. “It”s now a local treasure, permanently protected.”
Rich Burns, field manager for Ukiah”s BLM, explains that the property was originally privately owned by the Stornetta Brothers, who, in 2004, deeded 1,160 acres to BLM adding to a 580-acre conservation easement already held by the bureau.
In 2012 BLM acquired the first phase of what is now the Point Arena Ranch, the Cypress Abbey Ranch, within the city limits, adding more property, and in July of 2013 BLM received the remainder of the ranch, 423 acres, creating one contiguous property, 1665 acres, with 12 coastal miles of undeveloped federal and state-managed public land.
“What started as a grass roots, community effort resulted in the designation of a national monument providing for extra layers of protection and greater opportunities for land management; it gives it a national designation, a higher profile and additional funding resources from the government. It restricts oil drilling and gas leasing, issues of right of way for development; it takes it out of the public land laws,” he says.
Jonna Hildenbrand, planning coordinator for Ukiah”s BLM office, says that Discover the Coast Celebration to be held on Saturday, July 19th, is a community celebration exposing this part of the Mendocino Coast to the world.
“A 2014 NY Times article specified the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands as the third best place-to-go in the world, second to Cape Town, Africa, and Christchurch, New Zealand,” she says.
The difference between the Pt. Arena community and other locations where the BLM sponsors Discover the Coast events is that this community is taking the concept and running with it; they are enthused and involved and are already talking about making it a yearly event. It has been the product of an ongoing collaborative effort.
“We have not provided anything more than the canvas for the city to paint upon,” says Burns
Burns gives kudos to the main players. There are many to thank; those that stood out, some of whom are connected to the Pt. Arena Gateway Committee, are Leslie Dahlhoff, Merita Watley, Barbara Pratt, Isaac Rios, Scott Schneider and Ann Cole.
The Manchester Band of Pomo Indians helped the community understand the cultural resource value of village sites and the importance of Native Americans in their relationship with the land. Tribal chairperson Eloise Reyes flew to Washington to witness the final signing.
The Stornetta family had the insight to preserve the land indefinitely; they continue to graze their cattle and raise fava beans, peas and beans on the 580-acre conservation easement of the property.
“It”s rare to find that much coastal prairie in California that”s available, accessible, to the public. We are able to conserve salmon, Pt. Arena mountain beaver and black oystercatcher habitats and protect threatened and endangered species, such as the Brehens silverspot butterfly. For public access it is one of few of that size; you can hike for hours along the coast experiencing its geology, its clearly exposed bluffs. You can stand at the point, at the elbow of the state, where it makes a turn, and see nothing but ocean for 270 degrees.”
Access is open to the public; there are four routes of ingress: one, at the intersection of Highway 1 and Lighthouse Road; another, at Lighthouse Road, at “the bend in the road” where it turns north towards the lighthouse; a third, at the end of Lighthouse Road next to the entrance of the lighthouse; and a fourth, behind Pt. Arena City Hall. A walk from there to the ocean takes about 30 minutes and one to the lighthouse takes about 2-? hours. The paths are clear and designated and open from sunrise to sunset. Fires and camping are prohibited.
The Stornetta Public Land Celebration on Saturday, July 19, begins at 8 a.m. and ends at dusk. In the morning, there will be guided walks starting at Pt. Arena City Hall and the Pt. Arena Lighthouse featuring topics on birds, native plants, geology, marine mammals and cultural history. In the afternoon the celebration will include a ceremonial Pomo dance, poems, music and the unveiling of the national monument sign at city hall. There will be food vendors, kids” crafts and interesting things to see and do. The day”s activities will conclude with a sunset walk on the monument lands leaving from city hall at 8:15 p.m.