Obama to preserve California federal lands

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3. Mendocino's Stornetta Lands to be national monument (The Press Democrat)

Mendocino's Stornetta Lands to be national monument

The Stornetta Public Lands, a breathtaking stretch of Mendocino County coast near Point Arena, will be declared part of a national monument Tuesday by President Barack Obama, White House officials said Saturday.

Obama will issue an executive order to expand the 1,100-mile California Coastal National Monument and take in the rugged, biologically rich expanse of 1,665 acres in an Oval Office ceremony with a local presence.

“It’s finally happening,” said former Point Arena Mayor Leslie Dahlhoff, who was part of a 2-year grassroots campaign to protect the lands. She will be among three local residents to attend the signing Tuesday.

Boosters believe the monument designation, in addition to offering additional federal protection for the land, will raise the profile of the south Mendocino Coast and provide a much-needed economic infusion.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20140309/articles/140309618#page=1