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ROCKS, ECOSYSTEMS, PARTNERS, & GATEWAYS: 

THE COMPONENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 

CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT WITHIN 

CALIFORNIA’S “ELEVENTH BIOREGION” 

Herrick E. Hanks 

California Coastal National Monument 

USDI Bureau of Land Management 

299 Foam Street 

Monterey, California 93940 

hhanks@ca.blm.gov 

OPENING COMMENTS 

In this presentation I will (1) provide a brief explanation of what the California 

Coastal National Monument is, (2) touch on the framework for the management 

of the monument (i.e., rocks, ecosystems, partners, and gateways) and the 

implementation priorities, and (3) conclude with a few comments on how the 

CCNM contributes to the implementation of the recommendations of the 

California Ocean Protection Council’s five-year strategic plan and the U.S. 

Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Ocean Commission reports. 

BACKGROUND 

The California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) is arguably the Nation’s most 

unique national monument. This national monument is under the responsibility of 

the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (commonly 

referred to as the “BLM”) and is part of the recently established National 

Landscape Conservation System. 

So why is the CCNM unique? It’s rocks, a network of more than 20,000 of them, 

located off of the 1,100 miles of the California coastline from San Diego to the 

Oregon border. 

The CCNM is among the most viewed but the least recognized of any of the 

Nation’s national monuments. Established over six years ago by Presidential 

Proclamation, the stated purpose of the CCNM is to elevate the protection of “all 

unappropriated or unreserved lands and interest in 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.” It’s the portion of the rocks and islands above mean high tide. The 

entire national monument is offshore (currently there is no on-shore portion of the 

monument). 

*Paper presented as part of the Placed Based Management Session of the California & the World Ocean 

2006 Conference, Long Beach, California, September 20, 2006. 

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The Presidential Proclamation recognizes a duel purpose. First is the need to 

protect the CCNM’s overwhelming scenic quality and natural beauty and it 

specifically directs the protection of the geologic formations and the habitat that 

these rocks and islands provide for seabirds, sea mammals, and other plant and 

animal life within this portion of the coastal intertidal zone. Second, the 

proclamation recognizes the CCNM as containing “irreplaceable scientific values 

vital to protecting the fragile ecosystems of the California coastline.” It is this 

phrase that links the CCNM and its roll with the larger California coastline 

ecosystems of which the monument is a vital part. 

The CCNM, therefore, consists of rocks, small islands, exposed reefs, and 

pinnacles of various sizes, shapes, and habitats for both plants and animals. 

Simply speaking, the CCNM is the exposed portion of a network of more than 

20,000 of California’s “nearshore” rocks and small islands. The surface area of 

these rocks and small islands (i.e., islets), and therefore the CCNM, covers about 

1,000 acres, but as delineated by the Presidential Proclamation, are located 

within a 14,600 square nautical mile area (i.e., the “CCNM corridor”), and contain 

a wide variety of biological, physical, and cultural values. It’s all off-shore (Again, 

no portion of the CCNM is currently onshore). The monument cuts across five of 

BLM’s field offices and adjoins and is intertwined with dozens of different 

jurisdictions. The simple fact that the CCNM is intertwined with a variety of 

jurisdictional responsibilities and management entities up and down the entire 

coast of California necessitates a cooperative and collaborative approach to the 

protection and management of the CCNM. 

In order to identify and assemble the components needed to implement this 

unique national monument, the BLM developed and issued a management plan 

for the entire CCNM (2005). Completed just about a year ago, this plan focused 

on the monument (i.e., the rocks and small islands) within a larger planning area 

that consisted of the “CCNM Corridor” and the California Coastal Commission’s 

coastal zone. 

The CCNM plan established the framework in which the monument is to be 

managed, identified the goals and objectives, and laid out dozens of 

management actions needed to implement the plan over the next 15 to 20 years. 

I’m going to briefly touch on the basic framework established for the CCNM and 

the major implementation priorities identified in the plan. 

MAJOR ASPECTS & FOCUS OF THE CCNM 

In order to effectively manage the CCNM, attention is being paid to four equally 

important aspects. The first of these is preservation. 

PRESERVATION (Management Focus) 

Preservation is the primary management focus for the CCNM. This focus applies 

directly to the more than 20,000 rocks and small islands that make up the CCNM 

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(i.e., the portion above mean high tide). This is the monument, with attention on 

protection, research, education, and planning. When push comes to shove, this 

is what the BLM is responsible for off the California coastline. 

LANDSCAPE (Ecosystem Focus) 

Landscape is the ecosystem focus of the second aspect of the CCNM. This 

aspect recognizes that the 20,000 rocks and small islands that constitute the 

CCNM are part of a larger landscape (or seascape). It is the more than 14,600 

square nautical mile area (i.e., the “CCNM Corridor”) within which the CCNM is 

located, but it is not the CCNM. It is here that we can effectively assess all three 

of the dimensions of the coastal ecosystems (i.e., abotic, biotic, and cultural). It is 

the landscape aspect that connects the CCNM with the various ecosystems of 

which its rocks and small islands are an important part, and links the CCNM with 

the many jurisdictions and management responsibilities that together ensure the 

proper management and long-term protection of the California coastal and 

marine resources and values. 

This landscape also links the CCNM with its current and future partners, as well 

as with the public. In addition, it is this landscape that provides the opportunity for 

using the CCNM as a focal point for the “sea-land connection” that can help link 

the coastal initiatives with the marine initiatives. This is where the CCNM meets 

with its adjoining jurisdictions and, therefore, its partners and potential partners. 

PARTNERSHIPS (Collaboration Focus) 

Partnerships provide the collaboration focus for the CCNM. The only way that the 

CCNM can be effectively managed is with partnerships. As mentioned above, the 

CCNM is located adjacent to or embedded within many jurisdictions, including 

other federal and state agencies, counties, municipalities, tribes, and private 

entities. With the myriad of adjacent and overlapping responsibilities and 

jurisdictions, BLM intends to continue with existing partnerships and develop new 

partnerships to share some of the management responsibilities. 

In order to provide some order to large number of partnerships that will be 

associated with the CCNM, the following three partnership categories have been 

established: 

Core-Managing Partners. BLM, California Department of Fish and Game 

(DFG), and California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) serve 

as CCNM’s core-managing partners. These agencies have the responsibility for 

long-term oversight and administration of the entire CCNM. Through the interim 

MOU signed in spring 2000, BLM extended its partnership with DFG and added 

State Parks, the state agency that administers almost 30% percent of the 

California coast. 

The involvement of other entities with management of the CCNM will be 

formalized through the use of the other two partnership categories. 

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Collaborative Partners. Collaborative partners serve to help implement various 

aspects of resource programs related to the monument. Most of the partnerships 

related to the CCNM will fall into this category. Collaborative partnerships will be 

developed with a wide variety of governmental, tribal, and private agencies and 

entities. These partners have specific interests or responsibilities that, when 

linked with the CCNM, enhance the monument’s purpose and the purpose of the 

collaborative partner. These partnerships will include entities that oversee similar 

resources (e.g., seabirds or tidepools), have program-related interests (e.g., 

maritime heritage or marine protected species), are involved in a related activity 

(e.g., research or education), and/or oversee adjacent locations (e.g., an area 

within a National Marine Sanctuary). Currently, collaborative partnership 

agreements have been developed with wide variety of entities, such as NOAA’s 

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, PRBO Conservation Science, 

Recreation Fishing Alliance, City of Point Arena, and Trinidad Museum Society. 

Stewards. Steward partners are select entities with ownership or management 

responsibility for a specific portion of the coast that adjoins part of the CCNM. 

These partners agree to serve as stewards for that portion of the CCNM. 

Stewards will support resource inventory and monitoring, education and 

interpretation, and resource protection. Currently, a stewardship agreements 

have been developed with the U.S. Air Force for the 35-miles of coastline 

associated with Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Trinidad Rancheria (a federally 

recognized tribe) for a 4-mile portion of the Trinidad coast in Humboldt County, 

The Sea Ranch Association (a not-for-profit property owners corporation) for a 

12-miles of coastline along the northern portion of the Sonoma County coast, the 

Yurok Tribe (another federally recognized tribe) for the CCNM rocks within their 

traditional tribal territory, and the U.S. Navy for the CCNM rocks and exposed 

reefs off San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands and the west side of Navy Base 

Point Loma, as well as Begg Rock located northwest of San Nicolas Island. 

COMMUNITIES (Local Focus) 

The final focus, the “Local Focus,” is a key element to making all of this work. 

Without developing community involvement and the sense of community 

“ownership,” it will be very difficult to effectively manage the CCNM. Success in 

implementing the CCNM is the establishment and initiation of a series of “CCNM 

Gateways.” 

IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIES 

Although the RMP identified dozens of objectives and management actions that 

needed to be accomplished over the next 15 to 20 years, six implementation 

priorities were identified in order to set the management of the CCNM into 

motion. Each of the six priorities is intended to allow the BLM and its CCNM 

partners the opportunity to begin the initial implementation of the RMP without 

too much expense and within the current staffing limitations. Together these 

implementation priorities are intended to establish the framework needed to get 

started on the basic aspects and tasks required to meet the CCNM’s overall 

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goals. Each of the six implementation priorities is intended to cover at least one 

of the CCNM’s major aspects and focus. 

(1) PROTECTION (Protecting the CCNM resources & resource values) 

As directed by the Presidential Proclamation, protection is the primary reason for 

establishing the CCNM. The use of the term “protection” in this context is broad, 

encompassing both physical and administrative measures. It also includes a 

variety of management actions, both reactive and proactive, that can be taken to 

respond to threats to the monument’s resources and resource values. These 

actions range from public outreach and education to coordinated law 

enforcement efforts and permanent closures. 

(2) PARTNERSHIPS (Developing & maintaining partnerships) 

Partnerships provide the collaboration focus for the CCNM. With a national 

monument that is as extensive as the CCNM, as well as being connected to so 

many varied jurisdictions, the opportunities for partnerships are enormous and 

are absolutely necessary for the success of the CCNM. 

(3) SITE CHARACTERIZATION (Conducting, maintaining, & updating the 

 CCNM Site Characterization Study & Survey) 

This is critical if BLM is to get a handle on what the CCNM actually consists of 

and what specifically are the important locations, resources, and values that the 

CCNM is intended to protect. It will also enable BLM to organize the research 

and monitoring needs, gaps, and opportunities; discuss the CCNM in terms of its 

abiotic (physical), biotic (biological), and cultural (socio-cultural) dimensions; 

begin developing the CCNM's public education and interpretive initiatives; and 

establish a public accessible web-based site. 

(4) CCNM GATEWAYS (Establishing & supporting a series of “CCNM 

Gateways”) 

Key to the successful management of the CCNM is the development of effective 

community involvement and a sense of community “ownership.” The primary 

means to accomplish this is the establishment and implementation of the series 

of “CCNM Gateways.” The CCNM Gateways help to bring the monument into 

focus and serve as a way to link it with local communities and initiatives. Each 

CCNM Gateway provides a variety of opportunities with a variety of local 

partners. 

CCNM Gateways are sections of the California coast that serve as focal points 

and visitor contact locations for the CCNM. These are areas, towns, cities, 

communities, or various locations that are ideal for providing visitor information 

and services, and have the infrastructure and interest in serving in this capacity. 

It is also the vehicle to establish a local “flavor” for a specific portion of the CCNM 

and provide local stewardship. 

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Twelve segments of the California coast have been identified as the initial CCNM 

Gateway locations and to provide the primary contact locations for what is the 

CCNM. These 12 potential CCNM Gateways are (from north to south) the 

following: 1) Crescent City, 2) Trinidad, 3) Shelter Cove (Lost Coast), 4) 

Mendocino (Fort Bragg/Mendocino), 5) Elk, 6) Point Arena, 7) Sonoma Coast, 8) 

Pigeon Point (San Mateo/Santa Cruz coast), 9) Monterey Peninsula, 10) Big Sur, 

11) Piedras Blancas/San Simeon (San Luis Obispo North), and 12) Palos Verdes 

Peninsula. The initial focus is on the first five locations, one within each of the 

five coastal BLM field offices’ jurisdictions. All 12 of these locations provide a 

variety of opportunities with a variety of partners and potential partners to serve 

as key contact points for the CCNM. 

(5) SEABIRD CONSERVATION (Developing & implementing a Seabird 

Conservation initiative) 

Focusing on seabirds initiates the research and resource monitoring aspect of 

the CCNM. Of the various coastal resources, seabirds have received the least 

attention and, therefore, provide the CCNM with the opportunity to make a very 

useful contribution to further the understanding of California’s coastal resources. 

Since the rocks and small islands of the CCNM provide important habitat to 

seabirds for roosting and nesting, the CCNM can help to fill the gaps in the 

seabird inventories along California’s coast and service as a focal point for 

seabird conservation initiatives. This could include working with various CCNM 

partners to coordinate seabird research, monitoring, protection, and public 

outreach initiatives. 

(6) TIDEPOOL CONNECTION (Initiating & maintaining a Tidepool 

 Connections network) 

Tidepools give the CCNM an education and outreach focus on an area that 

needs attention. With over 20,000 rocks spread the California coastline, the 

CCNM is associated with most of the state’s tidepool areas. Being connected 

with a wide variety of California’s tidepools provides the CCNM with the 

opportunity to serve as the vehicle to help develop and coordinate a California 

coast-wide initiative related to tidepool education and protection. This could 

include the development and dissemination of a “tidepool etiquette” applicable to 

the entire coast, common tidepool public education materials, and appropriate 

signage wording and formats, as well as establishing a communication network. 

In addition, this initiative moves the CCNM towards its vision to serve as a 

catalyst for fostering cooperative stewardship of the monument’s resources and 

California’s coastal ecosystems. 

SUMMARY 

Success with these priorities will open the door for increased opportunities and 

capabilities. The challenge is to ensure that the appropriate level of attention and 

support is provided to make this a very positive undertaking for all of the parties 

involved in this unique collaborative endeavor along the entire California coast. 

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The CCNM (i.e., The “Rocks”) can not be effectively managed by itself. It is an 

integral part of a complex of coastal ecosystems (i.e., The “Ecosystems”) and is 

intertwined with a wide variety of other jurisdictions, all current or potential CCNM 

partners (i.e., The “Partners”). Partnerships are an absolute necessity for the 

CCNM, as is bring this partnership approach down to the community level and 

developing a sense of community “ownership” (i.e., The “Gateways”) is a key 

aspect of the long-term management of the CCNM. All four of these major 

aspects must come together in order to effectively administer the CCNM and 

implementation of the CCNM priorities. 

CCNM & CWO’06 CONFERENCE FOCUS 

Before I conclude, I would like to briefly discuss a few of the links that the CCNM 

has with the focus of this conference and how the CCNM contributes to the 

implementation of the recommendations of the California Ocean Protection 

Council’s five-year strategic plan and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and 

the Pew Ocean Commission reports. 

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s final report (2004) called for, among 

other things, enhancing coordination, advancing a regional approach, and 

coordinating management, plus promoting stewardship and education, as well as 

promoting resource conservation along the coast. The Pew Ocean Commission 

(2003) recognized the importance of the sea-land connection and the California 

Ocean Protection Act and the California Ocean Protection Council’s follow-up 

five year strategic plan (2005) began implementation of these recommendations 

for California. CCNM management framework and implementation priorities 

touch on all of the above mentioned recommendations. 

The CCNM, with its network of more than 20,000 small islands, rocks, exposed 

reefs, and pinnacles, can further help California with the implementation of these 

recommendations. Below are three areas that the CCNM can help provide some 

focus: 

First, the CCNM can model “participatory governance”, one of the U.S. 

Commission on Ocean Policy’s guiding principles and the first theme of the 

California Ocean Protection Council’s strategic plan. With the CCNM’s 

partnership approach and “CCNM Gateways” initiative as key elements of the 

CCNM’s implementation, the CCNM has already begun to model this guiding 

principle. At the core to this approach is the concept of “Think coastal, act local”. 

Second, with the CCNM being the only Federal designation that runs the length 

of the California Coast, it can serve as a catalyst for fostering stewardship of 

the California’s coastal ecosystems. Cutting across, intertwined with, and 

connecting to so many coastal jurisdictions, CCNM provides an existing vehicle 

to help enhance cooperative and collaborative initiatives and partnerships with 

various communities, agencies, organizations, academic institutions, the public, 

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and other stakeholders. This stewardship, of course, recognizes the importance 

of outreach, public awareness, and lifelong ocean and coastal education. 

And finally, the “CCNM corridor” can help bring a holistic perspective to 

California’s nearshore and offshore zones, a perspective that recognizes that this 

portion of California constitutes California’s “eleventh bioregion”. The current 

division of California into ten large bioregions inadvertently excluded California’s 

nearshore and offshore zones (i.e., the western edge of the four western 

bioregions is the “coastline”). As a result, the State’s current biodiversity initiative 

(i.e., California Biodiversity Council) is missing a key part of California’s diverse 

ecosystems. By treating California’s nearshore and offshore zones as the 

eleventh bioregion, we complete California’s intent of including all of the State’s 

natural resources under its biodiversity initiative and formally add California’s 

eleventh bioregion to the existing forum. 

Promoting the bioregion concept for the California’s nearshore and offshore 

zones (i.e., its ocean and coast) is also key to ocean and coastal resource 

conservation and economic growth and sustainability. A holistic perspective of 

California’s ocean and coastal bioregion is critical if California is to maintain its 

primary economic draw- -the diversity, scenic beauty, and natural resources of its 

world-class coast. 

CONCLUDING REMARKS 

Developing and effectively implementing a functional management focus and 

partnership approach for the CCNM is not a simple challenge. It is, however, an 

opportunity to initiate a coast-wide partnership, or series of partnerships, that can 

coordinate or facilitate and enhance the sharing of information, messages, and 

research related to the California coast and the land-sea connections. It provides 

the opportunity to help link the coastal initiatives with the marine initiatives, and to 

do so with a multi-agency, multi-organization, and multi-jurisdictional approach 

where the partners participate in the management of the CCNM. This has the 

potential of being a very interesting endeavor where a wide variety of partners 

share in the management of a very unique national monument and in “a 

partnership in protecting unique California coastal resources.” 

REFERENCES 

California Ocean Protection Council. A Vision for Our Ocean and Coast: Five 

Year Strategic Plan, 2006 

Pew Oceans Commission. America’s Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea 

Change, 2003 

U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, 

U.S. Department of the Interior-Bureau of Land Management. California Coastal 

National Monument Resource Management Plan, 2005 

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2004 
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CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT 


RMP IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIES 


LANDSCAPE 

 (Ecosystem Focus) 

Abiotic 

Biotic 

 Cultural 

PARTNERSHIPS 

(Collaborative Focus) 

Core-Managing Partners 

 Collaborative Partners 

Stewards 

COMMUNITIES 

(Local Focus) 

“CCNM Gateways” 

Gateway Communities 

Local Stewardship 

Local Involvement 

Partnership 

Development & 

Maintenance 

Protection of 

Resources 

& Values 

Site 

Characterization 

Study & Survey 

Seabird 

Conservation 

Tidepool 

Connections 

“CCNM 

Gateways” 

PRESERVATION 

 (Management Focus) 

Protection 

Research 

Education 

Planning 

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 The CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT is: 

• An amazing diversity of more than 20,000 rocks & small islands 

• Home for thousands of seals & sea lions 

• Haven for hundreds of thousands of seabirds 

• Habitat for millions of upper rocky intertidal species 

• A spectacular interplay of land & sea 

• A unique coastal treasure 

• A partnership with a variety of communities, agencies, tribes, 

organizations, academic institutions, and organizations 

• A catalyst for fostering stewardship of the California’s coastal 

ecosystems 

• Spread along California’s 1,100 miles of coastline 

• Encompassed within a 14,600 square nautical mile area (CCNM 

Corridor) 

• Only about 1,000 acres in total size 

• All off-shore (no on-shore portion) 

• Within 5 BLM Field Offices 

• Adjoining & intertwined with dozens of different jurisdictions, from 

one end of the California coast to the other 

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