PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Protect Naples Reef
  1. Signatures
    521 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. California Fish and Game Commission (President James Kellogg and Members of the Fish and Game Commission)
  2. Created By
    Cal Oceans
    Imperial Beach, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter

Naples Reef is a unique underwater pinnacle and cave system located off the Gaviota coast in Santa Barbara County.  This coastal treasure is one of the most biologically productive and diverse marine habitats in all of southern California and provides Channel Islands-quality diving and snorkeling within close proximity to the mainland.

Right now, under the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), we have an opportunity to protect Naples Reef, giving this ecologically significant area a chance to rebuild and sustain marine life populations into the future.   

The MLPA is a law that requires California to establish a network of marine protected areas, or ocean wilderness, along the coastline from Oregon to the Mexican Border. Creating underwater parks will conserve our vital marine resources and improve recreational, educational, and study opportunities in the ocean.  

Protecting Naples Reef will improve the overall health of southern California’s ocean and provide a legacy of thriving coastal ecosystems for our children and grandchildren.

Please sign this petition and tell the Fish and Game Commissioners that you support the creation of a strong network of Marine Protected Areas for southern California.  Because world-class dive sites and ecological powerhouses like Naples Reef deserve to be protected for future generations.

Recent Signatures

Re: Support for Marine Life Protection Act

Dear President Kellogg and Members for the California Fish and Game Commission,

President James Kellogg and
Members of the Fish and Game Commission
c/o California Fish and Game Commission
1416 Ninth Street
P.O. Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

Re: Support for Marine Life Protection Act

Dear President Kellogg and Members for the California Fish and Game Commission,

Naples Reef, on the Gaviota Coast, is a biological and cultural treasure whose long-term health is important for both the people and wildlife of Santa Barbara County. The US Interior Department has declared the adjacent undeveloped coastline “globally significant,” and local scientists, divers, snorkelers, and kayakers feel the same way about Naples Reef.

There is a strong effort underway to protect the coastline through the state’s Marine Life Protection Act, and we believe the state should extend those protections out to sea by creating a State Marine Reserve at Naples Reef. While small in size, the offshore Naples Reef is an exceptionally rich, productive habitat. In fact, scientific studies identify this unique pinnacle reef structure to be one of the most biologically productive and diverse underwater habitats in all of Southern California! In addition, this coastal area is home to many threatened and endangered animals such as the steelhead trout, the tidewater goby, the white-tailed kite, and the red-legged frog. Marine resource science indicates that prioritizing the protection of ecological hotspots like Naples Reef in marine reserve will actually act as sources of marine life for neighboring ocean areas, adding both economic and conservation value to the entire coast!

This beloved area is under threat from overfishing, coastal development and climate change. Protecting Naples Reef would allow sea life and habitat to recover and restore the area to a world-class site that will attract visitors and stimulate the local economy.

Please vote to approve a State Marine Reserve at Naples Reef, which would bring Channel Islands-quality recreational opportunities to the Santa Barbara coastline.

Thanks for your work on behalf of California’s people and ocean!

[Your name]

Press Inquiries