The five commissioners approved changing the name of the reserve to Montara State Marine Reserve.
Hundreds of people flocked to the commission meeting in Sacramento to witness the long-anticipated adoption of protections for marine habitat in the North Central Coast region of the state. In a 3-2 vote, commissioners moved to establish protections for 22 areas encompassing about 85 square miles of near-shore habitat – that’s about 11 percent of the North Central Coast.
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The overarching goal of preserving the coastal environment stems from the Marine Life Protection Act, which the state passed in 1999. It aims to establish a network of areas held under strict regulations as a means of replenishing marine ecosystems.
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