WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, November 8, 2013, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will visit Point Arena Stornetta Public Lands to hear directly from the community about their vision for the protection of the significant and scenic area along Northern California's Mendocino coastline. Jewell will be joined by Rep. Jared Huffman, who, along with Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Rep. Mike Thompson, has introduced legislation to include the area in the California Coastal National Monument.
The public meeting will wrap up Secretary Jewell's trip to California, following her major policy speech last week on conservation, the economic importance of public lands to local communities and the need to connect the next generation to America's great outdoors.
Administered by Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the area encompasses close to 1,255 acres, including two miles of Pacific coastline, the estuary of the Garcia River and adjacent beach, and a small island accessible during low tide. In addition to providing outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors and an outdoor classroom near Point Arena schools, the lands are recognized by state and federal agencies as containing significant natural resources, including important wildlife habitat, several riparian corridors, extensive wetlands, ponds and other water sources, cypress groves, meadows and sand dunes.
For the past decade, Point Arena community leaders have led efforts for protection and increased recognition of these lands. The BLM has worked with numerous partners and private land owners to preserve the coastal bluffs and meadows of Stornetta and Point Arena ranches. As a result, the public now has unfettered access to 12 miles of federal and state-managed lands from the community of Point Arena north to Manchester State Beach.
BLM's management of public lands contributed more than $126 billion to the national economy in 2012, including nearly $900 million for recreation on BLM lands in California alone.
WHO:
Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
Jared Huffman, U.S. Congressman
Neil Kornze, Principal Deputy Director at the Bureau of Land Management
Other local leaders and officials
WHAT:
Public Listening Session on Point Arena Stornetta Public Lands
WHEN:
Friday, November 8, 2013; 2:00 p.m. PST
WHERE:
Point Arena City Hall
451 School St.
Pt. Arena, CA 95468
RSVP:
Media interested in attending, please RSVP to Martha Maciel by email at mmaciel@blm.gov or by telephone at 916-978-4616
Source: Department of Interior
