The application period for seats on the Sanctuary Advisory Council is now open!

NOAA is establishing a Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) for Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS) and is inviting applications for 13 seats (listed below) during a 60-day recruitment period from January 7 to March 7, 2025. To apply, please complete an application. For more information on Sanctuary Advisory Council membership, eligibility, and the application process, please visit this guidance document. In it, you can find the application, application cover letter, seat description, and advisory council charter.

NOAA will review applications on a rolling basis and notify selected applicants. Once all seats have been selected, the first advisory council meeting is projected to take place in Spring 2025.

NOAA is establishing a Sanctuary Advisory Council for Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The advisory council will bring members of the local community together to develop advice and recommendations on the management and protection of sanctuary resources. Council members also serve as liaisons to their communities, building a strong connection between the sanctuary and community partners.

The Sanctuary Advisory Council will include 15 voting seat members and 15 alternates reflecting a variety of local community interests and experience relevant to the sanctuary. The advisory council will also have additional categories of non-voting seats: government agencies, students, and local representatives from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. NOAA is inviting applications for the following 13 seats (12 voting, and 1 non-voting):

  • Indigenous Cultural Knowledge (2 members, 2 alternates)
  • Public-at-Large, San Luis Obispo County (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Public-at-Large, Santa Barbara County (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Conservation (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Education (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Research (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Tourism and Recreation (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Ports, Harbors, and Maritime Transportation (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Offshore Energy and Telecommunications (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Commercial Fishing (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Recreational Fishing (1 member, 1 alternate)
  • Student Leadership (Non-Voting - 1 member, 1 alternate)

A core element of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary is developing and implementing a Framework for Indigenous Collaborative Co-Stewardship. This will eventually lead to the formation of a special Sanctuary Advisory Council working group—the Indigenous Cultures Advisory Panel—to provide for the respectful and meaningful involvement of representatives and partners from multiple local Tribes and Indigenous communities.

In addition, NOAA intends to create a separate Intergovernmental Policy Council, which will bring together federally recognized Tribes (the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians) with the state of California and NOAA.

More Information: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Advisory Councils

For inquiries about the Sanctuary Advisory Council please contact chumash.heritage@noaa.gov.