California adds marine protected areas off San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, two of them proposed by Chumash tribes
Oct. 19, 2026 — California's Fish and Game Commission last week created the state's first new marine protected areas in more than a decade, the governor's office said, adding 15,000 acres and bringing the share of coastal waters conserved to 22.2%. The new Point Sal State Marine Conservation Area, in San Luis Obispo County, and Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area, at Carpinteria Reef in Santa Barbara County, were proposed by Chumash tribes. The commission also expanded the Point Dume area off Malibu and strengthened protections at Pyramid Point on the North Coast.
The wall: The governor's office presented the action as a contrast to federal plans for offshore oil and gas leasing; the federal government's account of those plans was not included.
Tier: Confirmed (based on the governor's office's release)
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