By The People, For The People
In 2014, the sanctuary nomination process opened for the first time in two decades. Now, the process empowers the people to whom sanctuaries matter most: new national marine sanctuaries are nominated by communities, rather than suggested to them. Here are just a few of the treasured places that the American people have nominated as potential new national marine sanctuaries.
The proposed St. George Unangan Heritage National Marine Sanctuary encompasses part of the Pribilof Islands and a biologically rich area in the heart of the Bering Sea. Photo: Joe Connelly
Through the sanctuary nomination process and public meetings, communities have the opportunity to guide the creation of new national marine sanctuaries. Photo: Kate Thompson/NOAA
A boat sails off of Dobbin’s Landing in Erie, Pennsylvania, part of the proposed Lake Erie Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Erie County Planning Department