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Residents urge council to add marine mammal protections and a continuous beach‑cleanup program
Summary
Multiple residents and volunteer groups asked Carpinteria’s City Council to incorporate Marine Mammal Protection Act safeguards into the municipal code and to adopt a Shore Sabers continuous beach‑cleanup program and signage to protect the harbor seal colony and improve long‑term beach stewardship.
A coalition of residents and volunteers urged the Carpinteria City Council to add protections for the harbor seal colony and establish an ongoing community cleanup program.
Speakers—including Kate Stewart and volunteers associated with Sealwatch—reported steep declines in local seal counts and described repeated disturbances during summer and fall seasons. They asked the city to adopt municipal code language mirroring protections in the Marine Mammal Protection Act so that local enforcement can address disturbance and educate visitors.
Public commenters said better signage, seasonal access management and an active volunteer Shore Sabers program would reduce harassment and improve habitat outcomes. Speakers offered materials and an existing three‑page document they said had been submitted to staff and recommended low‑cost steps such as loaned signage and volunteer education shifts.
Council asked staff to review legal and practical implications, including whether adding local code provisions would trigger Coastal Commission review or require additional enforcement resources. Staff said they would prepare an initial report noting potential legal limits, staffing impacts and a proposed timeline that could be included in the administrator’s report and priority list.
Next steps: staff to research implications and return with an initial assessment; council indicated support for adding the item to a prioritized staff work list for future action.
