A bill that could designate coastal communities along the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as a National Heritage Area was introduced to the House of Representatives Tuesday. The National Park Service describes Heritage Areas as places “where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes.”
Congressmember Jimmy Panetta introduced the bill. He said it's a preliminary step. It would not grant heritage status, but instead direct the Park Service to conduct a study to determine if the area meets the requirements.
“What a National Heritage area will do will basically provide federal resources to enhance tourism, preserve historical sites and promote educational programs. But at the same time though it will, you know, allow the locals to control all their land use and development decisions,” Panetta said.
He said the Park Service could look into areas like the Big Basin redwoods in Santa Cruz or Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
“We know how lucky we are to be able to call this place home. We just want to make sure that, you know, it has the federal government's attention when it comes to not just preserving it but enhancing it,” Panetta said.
Panetta said the Park Service would consult with officials and stakeholders in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.
The bill’s first stop is the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. Existing National Heritage areas include the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the entire state of Tennessee, and parts of West Virginia.
Another Central Coast lawmaker, Salud Carbajal, is among the bill’s co-sponsors.
