HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT

1848 - All of California’s offshore rocks and islands become part of the territory ceded to the United States after war with Mexico and, as such, become federal property.
 
1930 - President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order (EO) No. 5326 temporarily withdrawing all unreserved California offshore islands, rocks, and pinnacles from settlement, location, sale, or entry.
 
1978 - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) entered into a cooperative agreement granting DFG management authority on the offshore rocks and islands withdrawn by EO 5326.
 
1983 - Assistant Secretary of the Interior signed Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6369 revoking EO 5326, replacing it with a 50-year lands and minerals withdrawal (except for two rocks at Crescent City known as Pelican and Round Rocks), and establishing the “California Islands Wildlife Sanctuary.”

1988 - California Fish and Game Commission established the California Offshore Rocks and Islands Ecological Reserve, covering an area from the coastline to one-half mile out.
 
1990 - BLM designated the California rocks and islands an “Area of Critical Environmental Concern.”

1998 - Congressman Farr introduced HR 3911 to designate “all unreserved and unappropriated ocean islands…., reefs, rocks, and islets lying within three miles off the Pacific coast of the State of California from Oregon to the Mexican border and above the mean high tides….as wilderness” to be part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

1999 - Congressman Farr reintroduced the wilderness bill as HR 2277.

2000 - January 11: President Clinton established the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) to protect “all unappropriated or unreserved lands and interest in the lands owned or controlled by the United States in the form of islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles above mean high tide within 12 nautical miles of the shoreline of the State of California.”

2000 - June 5: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) entered into an interim memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate in CCNM.
 
2002 - May 20: Formal CCNM Dedication (with BLM Honor Guard, a Town Crier, Congressman Sam Farr, BLM California Associate State Director Jim Abbott, State Parks acting Director Ruth Coleman, DFG Deputy Director Sonke Mastrup, et al.), held at Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California.
 
2003 - February 3 – PRBO Conservation Science became first CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2004 - April 21: Assistant Secretary of the Interior (Rebecca Watson) signed Public Land Order (PLO) No. 7601 as a record clearing action revoking PLO No. 6369 (of April 19, 1983) in its entirety (including revoking the establishment of the California Islands Wildlife Sanctuary).

2004 - July 1: Seven-acre Sea Lion Rock at Point Arena (Mendocino County) became part of CCNM with BLM’s acquisition of the Stornetta Ranch property.
 
2005 - May 25: Recreational Fishing Alliance became a CCNM Collaborative Partner.

2005 - June 6: Rights of way issued to U.S. Coast Guard for existing aids-to-navigation on Redding Rock (a.k.a. Reading Rock) located 4½ miles offshore of Orick (Humboldt County) and Mooring Rock just outside mouth of Albion River (Mendocino County).

2005 - September 1: United States Air Force became CCNM’s first “Steward”, a CCNM partner.
 
2005 - September 8: Trinidad Rancheria (Humboldt County) became a CCNM Steward.
 
2005 - September 8: BLM California State Director signed Record of Decision for CCNM Resource Management Plan (RMP).
 
2006 - January 17: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - January 31: Trinidad Museum Society became a CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - January 31: The Sea Ranch Association became CCNM Steward.
 
2006 - March 16: City of Point Arena became first municipality to be a CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - March 23: City of Trinidad became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - April 3: Tsurai Ancestral Society became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - April 11: CCNM RMP received Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) Award for “Outstanding Environmental Planning Document for Jurisdiction over 50,000 Population,” presented at AEP Annual Conference, Newport Beach, California.
 
2006 - April 26: Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - June 9: CCNM RMP received award for “Planning Implementation, Large Jurisdictions” from Northern Section of California Chapter of American Planning Association’s (APA), presented at APA California Chapter annual meeting, Oakland, California.

2006 - June 16: Hearst Corporation donated Piedras Blancas islets (Piedras Blancas 1 & 2, Outer Islet, & De La Cruz) to CCNM at a transfer ceremony held at Piedras Blancas Light Station, San Simeon, California

2006 - July 7: Yurok Tribe became CCNM Steward with signing of stewardship MOU with BLM.

2006 - August 30 & 31: First CCNM Summit held and focused on developing a basic “road  map” for shared management and RMP implementation for CCNM’s five BLM field offices, Monterey, California.

2006 - October 2: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2006 - October 24: CCNM RMP received the American Planning Association’s California-wide Planning Implementation Award for Large Jurisdictions, presented at APA annual conference at Anaheim, California.
 
2007 - April 3: Humboldt State University Marine Laboratory became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2007 - April 19: National Geographic Society, BLM, California Travel and Tourism Commission, and State Parks met to begin development of California Coast Geotourism Initiative, Sacramento, California.
 
2007 - June 26: Pacifica Chamber of Commerce became CCNM Collaborative Partner.

2007 - September 17: U.S. Coast Guard became CCNM Collaborative Partner.

2007 - October 5: U.S. Navy became CCNM Steward with signing ceremony at Naval Base Point Loma, San Diego, California.
 
2008 - March 17: Mendocino Coast Audubon Society became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2008 - March 19: The Sea Ranch Association presented with first CCNM “Rock Star” Award for their exemplary assistance in monitoring seabirds and marine mammals on rocks and islets adjacent to The Sea Ranch properties, The Sea Ranch Association CCNM Stewardship Task Force celebration luncheon, Sea Ranch, California.
 
2008 - April 18: Coastwalk California became CCNM Collaborative Partner.
 
2008 - April 25: Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy became Collaborative Partner.
 
2008 - May 27: Redwood Region Audubon Society became Collaborative Partner.
 
2008 - June 16: BLM selected as lead for Torch/Platform Irene Spill Seabird Disturbance Restoration Program for California’s south central coast.
 
2008 - October 30: Point Arena Mayor (Leslie Dahlhoff) recognized as a CCNM “Rock Star” for her work in formation of CCNM Point Arena Gateway, Point Arena, California.
 
2008 - December 1: Save the Redwood League became a CCNM Steward.
 
2008 - December 11: BLM California’s National Landscape Conservation System Coordinator (Paul Brink) presented with CCNM “Rock Star” Award at his retirement luncheon in Sacramento, California.
 
2009 - March 6: Mendocino County Historical Society became Collaborative Partner.
 
2009 - March 17: City of Rancho Palos Verdes became Collaborative Partner.
 
2009 - May 11: Moat Creek Managing Agency became Collaborative Partner.
 
2009 - May 14: The Sea Ranch CCNM Stewardship Task Force received BLM’s “Making a Difference” National Volunteer Award at a Department of the Interior ceremony in Washington, D.C.
 
2009 - July 15: Humboldt North Coast Land Trust became Collaborative Partner.
 
2009 - July 16: Del Norte County Historical Society became Collaborative Partner.
 
2009 - December: Redwood Coast Chamber of Commerce became Collaborative Partner with signing of MOU with BLM.
 
2010 - January 10: CCNM 10th Birthday Celebration held at Point Arena, California, starting a year-long, state-wide commemoration.

2014 - March 11: CCNM expanded by Presidential Proclamation 9089 adding the 1,665-acre Point Arena-Stornetta Unit in Mendocino County. 

2017 - January 12: CCNM expanded by Presidential Proclamation 9563 adding five mainland units and previously undesignated rocks and islands in Orange County.