Barbara Boxer: “I am pleased to introduce the California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act. Congressman Mike Thompson recently…”

“I am pleased to introduce the California Coastal National Monument Expansion Act. Congressman Mike Thompson recently introduced companion legislation to this bill in the House of Representatives, and I thank him for all of the work he has done on advancing this initiative. I would also like to thank Senator Dianne Feinstein for joining me as an original co-sponsor of this legislation. The California Coastal National Monument, created by President Clinton in 2000, stretches over 1,100 miles off California's coast and protects more than 20,000 small islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and islands between Mexico and Oregon. My bill would incorporate 1,225 acres of the Stornetta Public Lands and other public lands near the city of Point Arena in Mendocino County into the existing National Monument, creating the Monument's first onshore additions. By expanding the National Monument to include the ``Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands,'' my bill not only preserves the area for future generations, but also helps create a more cohesive bridge between the offshore resources and onshore public lands. Visitors will have contiguous public access to the current National Monument, the proposed expansion area, the adjacent Manchester Beach State Park, and the historic Point Arena Lighthouse.…”