Boundary Enlargement of the California Coastal National Monument, 6131-6144 [2017-01327]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 6131-6144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01327]



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Vol. 82

Wednesday,

No. 11

January 18, 2017

Part VIII





The President





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Proclamation 9563--Boundary Enlargement of the California Coastal 
National Monument



Proclamation 9564--Boundary Enlargement of the Cascade-Siskiyou 
National Monument



Proclamation 9565--Establishment of the Birmingham Civil Rights 
National Monument



Proclamation 9566--Establishment of the Freedom Riders National 
Monument



Notice of January 13, 2017--Continuation of the National Emergency With 
Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace 
Process


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 11 / Wednesday, January 18, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

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                Proclamation 9563 of January 12, 2017

                
Boundary Enlargement of the California Coastal 
                National Monument

                By The President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Through Proclamation 7264 of January 11, 2000, 
                President Clinton established the California Coastal 
                National Monument (monument) to protect the biological 
                treasures situated on thousands of unappropriated or 
                unreserved islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles 
                owned or controlled by the Government of the United 
                States within 12 nautical miles of the shoreline of the 
                State of California. Presidential Proclamation 9089, 
                issued on March 11, 2014, expanded the monument to 
                include the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, a 
                landscape of coastal bluffs and shelves, tide pools, 
                onshore dunes, coastal prairies, and riverbanks, and 
                the mouth and estuary of the Garcia River. In addition 
                to providing vital habitat for wildlife, these coastal 
                lands were critical for the native peoples who first 
                lived along the California Coast, and they continue to 
                be treasured by modern generations.

                Six other spectacular areas along the California Coast 
                contain significant scientific or historic resources 
                that are closely tied to the values of the monument. 
                Like the protections afforded by prior proclamations, 
                protection of Trinidad Head, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch, 
                Lost Coast Headlands, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, Piedras 
                Blancas, and Orange County Rocks and Islands would 
                protect and preserve objects of historic or scientific 
                interest on the California Coast.

                Trinidad Head

                About 30 miles north of Eureka lies the majestic and 
                culturally important promontory known as Trinidad Head. 
                The tip of Trinidad Head encompasses several prominent 
                historic sites along with the rocky ledges that provide 
                their setting, such as the Trinidad Head Light Station, 
                which first operated in 1871 and is still active today. 
                Accompanied by a small wooden bell house, it sits atop 
                sheer cliffs overlooking crashing waves and rugged sea 
                stacks. The importance of this location predated its 
                first use as a lighthouse. Nearly 100 years earlier, on 
                June 9, 1775, representatives of the local Yurok 
                community first made contact with two Spanish ships 
                there. A granite cross installed in 1913 sits in a 
                clearing above the lighthouse, commemorating the spot 
                where the Spanish erected a wooden cross two days later 
                to claim the area for King Charles III. Today, the area 
                is culturally and spiritually significant to the Cher-
                Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, 
                the Yurok Tribe, and the Tsurai Ancestral Society.

                Coastal bluff scrub vegetation, including coyote brush, 
                California wax myrtle, salal, blue blossom, ocean 
                spray, and evergreen huckleberry, surrounds these 
                historic features. Scattered stands of Sitka spruce, 
                Douglas fir, and red alder stand out among these native 
                shrubs and herbs. Coast Indian paintbrush grows in 
                rocky outcroppings near the bell house, adding splashes 
                of crimson to the landscape. Visitors to Trinidad Head 
                enjoy observing the Trinidad seabird colony, which 
                makes its home on the rocks and islands off the coast 
                of Trinidad Head and contains over 75,000 birds, 
                including several species of cormorant, the common 
                murre, and occasionally tufted puffins.

                Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch


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                Perched on the edge of Table Bluff, 12 miles south of 
                Eureka, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch has spectacular 
                panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Eel River Delta, 
                and the south spit of Humboldt Bay. In addition to 
                outstanding scenery, visitors to Waluplh-Lighthouse 
                Ranch can view migratory raptors, songbirds, and the 
                endangered marbled murrelet.

                Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch is part of the ancestral home 
                and current cultural traditions of the Wiyot Tribe, who 
                gave it the name Waluplh. With its expansive views, the 
                area served as a lookout point for the Tribe, as well 
                as a crossroads for trails connecting inland areas with 
                Humboldt Bay to the north and the bottomlands 
                surrounding the mouth of the Eel River to the south. 
                Beginning in the late 1800s, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch 
                was developed as a Coast Guard facility, and during 
                World War II, it served as a coastal lookout post and 
                the base for a mounted beach patrol. There are no 
                longer any buildings on the property, so visitors now 
                enjoy its panoramic views surrounded by open space.

                Lost Coast Headlands

                Thirteen miles south of Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch, the 
                Lost Coast Headlands present a majestic coastline, 
                encompassing rolling hills and dramatically eroding 
                bluffs, punctuated by freshwater creeks, ponds, and 
                pockets of forests. Underlying the Lost Coast Headlands 
                are layers of highly erodible sedimentary rock known as 
                the Wildcat Group. This geology has weathered over the 
                years, leading to deeply carved and incised bluffs 
                along the beach made up of multi-hued layers of gray 
                clay, golden sandstone, and brown siltstone. The 
                eroding of the bluffs over time exposes fossils of 
                scallops, clams, and snails, providing a glimpse of the 
                marine fauna that lived in the area during the 
                Pleistocene Epoch 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.

                Coastal scrub vegetation and open grasslands blanket 
                the area's rolling hills. Coyote brush and California 
                blackberry dominate, and in the grasslands, small 
                patches of native Pacific reed grass meadow remain. 
                Pockets of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and grand fir 
                shadow the eroded draws. These diverse habitats support 
                an array of wildlife species, including 
                black[hyphen]tailed deer, bobcat, brush rabbit, and 
                Douglas squirrel. While more elusive, gray fox, coyote, 
                and mountain lion also pass through the area, and a 
                careful observer may notice signs of their presence. A 
                variety of small birds dart about its grasslands and 
                scrub, while raptors such as American kestrels, 
                northern harriers, peregrine falcons, and Cooper's 
                hawks scan for prey overhead. Quiet visitors may hear 
                hairy woodpeckers in the forested draws. Foraging 
                shorebirds and gulls, along with the occasional harbor 
                seal, can be observed on the narrow beaches.

                Buffered by red alder and willow, Guthrie and Fleener 
                creeks wind their way through the Lost Coast Headlands 
                on their way to the sea. Both perennial streams provide 
                habitat for three-spined stickleback, a small native 
                fish. Sculpin, Pacific lamprey, and the threatened 
                Northern California steelhead have also been observed 
                in Guthrie Creek, and both creeks are potential habitat 
                for the threatened coho salmon. During the summer, the 
                mouth of Guthrie Creek widens into a lagoon that can 
                provide shelter for estuary-dependent fish and 
                invertebrates. The area also features three small, 
                freshwater ponds that provide habitat for the 
                threatened California red-legged frog and a variety of 
                waterfowl, including green-winged teals.

                While few signs of it remain, the northernmost point of 
                the Lost Coast Headlands was once the site of the 
                Centerville Beach Naval Facility, established in 1958 
                to monitor Soviet submarines during the Cold War. For 
                more than 100 years, several families who settled 
                nearby grazed livestock in the area.

                Cotoni-Coast Dairies

                Near Davenport in Santa Cruz County, Cotoni-Coast 
                Dairies extends from the steep slopes of the Santa Cruz 
                Mountains to the marine coastal terraces overlooking 
                the Pacific Ocean. Sitting atop the soft Santa Cruz 
                Mudstone

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                Formation and the hard, silica-rich Monterey Formation, 
                the area's bedrock supports a diversity of soils and 
                vegetation that have sustained wildlife and people 
                alike for millennia.

                Dating back at least 10,000 years, an ancestral group 
                known to archaeologists as the Costanoan or Coastal 
                People (also called the Ohlone) lived in this region, 
                and the Cotoni, a tribelet of this group, lived in the 
                Cotoni-Coast Dairies area. Lithic scatter sites and 
                shell middens demonstrate that inhabitants moved 
                between the coastal ecological zones and upland 
                environments, making use of the landscape's diverse 
                resources. Europeans first made contact with the Cotoni 
                in the 1600s and 1700s. Most of the Costanoan people 
                were converted to Christianity, many forcibly, during 
                California's Mission period in the late 1700s and 
                1800s, and by the early 1900s, much of the ancient 
                cultural heritage of the Coastal People was left only 
                to memory.

                Six perennial streams form the heart of Cotoni-Coast 
                Dairies' ecosystem, flowing from the coastal mountains 
                down to the Pacific Ocean. Molino Creek, Ferrari Creek, 
                San Vicente Creek, Liddell Creek, Yellow Bank Creek, 
                and Laguna Creek have each carved steep canyons on 
                their path to the sea. Vibrant riparian areas follow 
                along the six stream corridors, with red alder and 
                arroyo willow forests dominating the vegetative 
                community. A seventh stream, Scott Creek, flows along a 
                small portion of the area's northern boundary. Most of 
                the area's wetlands can be found within these riparian 
                corridors, though others exist in meadows and 
                floodplains.

                Beyond supporting riparian and wetland communities, 
                Cotoni-Coast Dairies' waterways provide important 
                habitat for anadromous and freshwater fish. All of the 
                streams are thought to have historically supported 
                salmon populations. Today, the threatened steelhead and 
                coho salmon can be found on spawning runs in San 
                Vicente Creek, while steelhead are also found in 
                Liddell Creek and Laguna Creek. The endangered 
                tidewater goby may also be found in the tidally 
                influenced portion of Laguna Creek. The threatened 
                California red-legged frog uses many of the waterways 
                and water sources here, along with a wide range of 
                other amphibians and reptiles.

                Grasslands, scrublands, woodlands, and forests surround 
                the riparian corridors in Cotoni-Coast Dairies. Purple 
                needlegrass and other native species, such as 
                California oatgrass and blue wildrye, characterize the 
                coastal prairie grassland community. The intermixed 
                wildflowers in the community provide visitors a 
                colorful display in the spring and early summer. 
                Occasional freshwater seeps amid the grasslands support 
                sedges, California buttercup, brown-headed rush, and 
                other species.

                California sagebrush and coyote brush scrub communities 
                blanket the area's bluffs and hillside slopes. Native 
                trees, including Douglas fir and coast live oak, 
                dominate forests, which also include stands of coastal 
                trees such as madrone, California bay, Monterey pine, 
                and knobcone pine. Visitors are drawn to stands of 
                coast redwood, which thrive on the north-facing slopes 
                in some watersheds, accompanied by redwood sorrel, elk 
                clover, and other understory species.

                The diversity of the uplands vegetation in Cotoni-Coast 
                Dairies supports a rich wildlife community including a 
                vast and varied mammalian population. Among the many 
                species inhabiting Cotoni-Coast Dairies are California 
                voles, dusky-footed woodrats, black-tailed jackrabbits, 
                mule deer, and gray fox. Evidence also suggests that 
                both bobcats and mountain lions hunt here.

                Visitors to Cotoni-Coast Dairies may be able to catch a 
                glimpse of a variety of avian species, including black 
                swifts, orange crowned warblers, American kestrels, 
                Cooper's hawks, white-tailed kites, and peregrine 
                falcons. In the riparian areas, one may encounter 
                Wilson's warblers, downy woodpeckers, and tree 
                swallows, among others. Various bat species, including 
                the Townsend's big-eared bat, can be seen darting 
                overhead at dusk.

                Piedras Blancas


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                Only 40 miles north of San Luis Obispo, the large white 
                coastal rocks for which Piedras Blancas was named have 
                served as a landmark for centuries to explorers and 
                traders along the central coast of California. Sitting 
                at a cultural interface between Northern Chumash and 
                Playanos Salinan peoples, Piedras Blancas was and still 
                remains important to Native Americans. The human 
                history of the area stretches back at least 3,000 
                years, and archaeologists have found stone tools, 
                debris from tool knapping, discrete quarrying 
                locations, and shell midden deposits that help tell 
                that history. Native peoples largely used the area as a 
                source of raw stone and for the manufacture of stone 
                tools.

                In 1542, the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo 
                noted the value of this area as a maritime guidepost, 
                and the land he sighted from his ship was later claimed 
                by the Spanish, followed by the Governor of Mexico, and 
                subsequently became part of the United States. A 
                lighthouse built in the 1870s still stands today, 
                albeit without the three upper levels that were removed 
                after being damaged by an earthquake in 1948. The 
                lighthouse, with its ornate brick and cast-iron 
                structure, is listed in the National Register of 
                Historic Places along with its surrounding buildings, 
                such as the 1906 fog-signal and oil house. Visitors to 
                Piedras Blancas today are treated to unmatched scenic 
                vistas of the rugged mountain peaks of the Santa Lucia 
                Range and the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. 
                Dramatic geologic features, such as the namesake white 
                rocks, along with the area's characteristic fog, 
                contribute to a dynamic visual landscape.

                The bedrock in the area consists of both sedimentary 
                and volcanic rocks of the Franciscan Formation. This 
                Formation represents Jurassic age material from the 
                Pacific Plate that scraped off and attached to the 
                continental margin of North America. Atop the bedrock 
                lie Monterey Formation rocks, topped with marine 
                terrace deposits. Rain percolates through the rock 
                surface and sub-surface and emerges dramatically as 
                ephemeral springs from cliff faces.

                California sea lions, harbor seals, and northern 
                elephant seals all spend time on the shores and within 
                the waters of this area. Visitors may observe colonies 
                of massive elephant seals loafing in the sun at Piedras 
                Blancas, where females can be seen nursing their pups, 
                and males occasionally battle for dominance. For 
                decades, scientists have used this land to conduct 
                annual censuses of the threatened southern sea otter 
                and other marine mammals. From the mainland of Piedras 
                Blancas, visitors can also be treated to regular visits 
                by migrating gray and humpback whales, and occasionally 
                blue, minke, and killer whales as well, in addition to 
                bottlenose dolphins.

                Marine birds perched on or soaring over the Piedras 
                Blancas rocks include Brandt's cormorants, black 
                oystercatchers, peregrine falcons, and brown pelicans. 
                In a remarkable spring display, Pacific loons can be 
                seen migrating offshore of Piedras Blancas by the tens 
                of thousands. In the rocky intertidal zone found along 
                these shores, scientists have documented mussels, ochre 
                starfish, barnacles, sea anemones, and black and red 
                abalones.

                The lighthouse's windswept onshore point is also a 
                sanctuary for plants and wildlife. Over 70 types of 
                native plants, including members from the agave, 
                cashew, sunflower, carnation, morning glory, gourd, 
                iris, and poppy families, establish a foothold in the 
                fine sand and fine sandy loam soils. Together this 
                diversity of vegetation can be characterized as 
                northern coastal bluff scrub. If visitors time their 
                visit, they will be treated to a dazzling array of 
                blooms from species such as seaside poppy, seaside 
                daisy, coastal bush lupine, hedge nettle, dune 
                buckwheat, and compact cobwebby thistle. This native 
                vegetation supports many wildlife species, including 
                brush rabbits, California voles, dusky-footed woodrats, 
                and bobcats. Black-bellied slender salamanders, 
                threatened red-legged frogs, western terrestrial garter 
                snakes, and other reptiles and amphibians thrive in the 
                Piedras Blancas area.

                Orange County Rocks and Islands

                This area consists of a series of offshore rocks, 
                pinnacles, exposed reefs, and small islands off the 
                Orange County coastline, where visitors onshore

[[Page 6135]]

                are treated to dramatic crashing waves, unique geology, 
                and an abundance of marine-dependent wildlife. These 
                rocks and islands lie within the current monument 
                boundary but were not previously reserved as part of 
                the monument. These offshore rocks, many in pocket 
                coves, contribute to the rugged beauty of the Orange 
                County coastline and themselves include objects of 
                scientific and historic interest. The features also 
                provide important connectivity from south to north for 
                shore birds and sea birds, as well as for California 
                sea lions and harbor seals.

                Cormorants, brown pelicans, gulls, and a variety of 
                other shore birds and sea birds can be seen roosting, 
                resting, and feeding on the jagged rocks and small 
                islands. These rocks and islands are also haul-out 
                areas for marine mammals, including California sea 
                lions, harbor seals, and the occasional northern 
                elephant seal.

                Rich in vital nutrients, this offshore zone of swirling 
                currents supports a variety of habitats and organisms. 
                The tide pools around these rocks and islands are home 
                to a diversity of hardy intertidal seaweeds and animal 
                species uniquely adapted for survival within the 
                alternating and equally harsh environs of pounding surf 
                and baking sun.

                The protection of Trinidad Head, Waluplh-Lighthouse 
                Ranch, Lost Coast Headlands, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, 
                Piedras Blancas, and Orange County Rocks and Islands as 
                part of the California Coastal National Monument will 
                preserve their cultural, prehistoric, and historic 
                legacy and maintain their diverse array of natural and 
                scientific resources, ensuring that the historic and 
                scientific value of these areas, and their numerous 
                objects of historic or scientific interest, remain for 
                the benefit of all Americans.

                WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code 
                (known as the ``Antiquities Act''), authorizes the 
                President, in his discretion, to declare by public 
                proclamation historic landmarks, historic and 
                prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic 
                or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands 
                owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be 
                national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof 
                parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall 
                be confined to the smallest area compatible with the 
                proper care and management of the objects to be 
                protected;

                WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to preserve the 
                objects of scientific and historic interest on the 
                public lands of Trinidad Head, Waluplh-Lighthouse 
                Ranch, Lost Coast Headlands, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, 
                Piedras Blancas, and Orange County Rocks and Islands;

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by the authority vested in me 
                by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, 
                hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are 
                situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or 
                controlled by the Federal Government to be part of the 
                California Coastal National Monument and, for the 
                purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part 
                thereof all lands and interests in lands owned or 
                controlled by the Federal Government within the 
                boundaries described on the accompanying maps, which 
                are attached hereto and form a part of this 
                proclamation. The Orange County Rocks and Islands shall 
                be managed as part of the original offshore area of the 
                monument, and the remainder of the lands shall be known 
                as the Trinidad Head, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch, Lost 
                Coast Headlands, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, and Piedras 
                Blancas units of the monument, respectively. These 
                reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass 
                approximately 6,230 acres. The boundaries described on 
                the accompanying maps are confined to the smallest area 
                compatible with the proper care and management of the 
                objects to be protected.

                All Federal lands and interests in lands within the 
                boundaries described on the accompanying maps are 
                hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of 
                entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition 
                under the public land laws, from location, entry, and 
                patent under the mining laws, and from disposition 
                under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal

[[Page 6136]]

                leasing, other than by exchange that furthers the 
                protective purposes of the monument.

                The enlargement of the boundary is subject to valid 
                existing rights. If the Federal Government subsequently 
                acquires any lands or interests in lands not owned or 
                controlled by the Federal Government within the 
                boundaries described on the accompanying maps, such 
                lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a 
                part of the monument, and objects identified above that 
                are situated upon those lands and interests in lands 
                shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of 
                ownership or control by the Federal Government.

                The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) shall manage 
                the area being added to the monument through the Bureau 
                of Land Management (BLM) as a unit of the National 
                Landscape Conservation System, pursuant to applicable 
                legal authorities, to protect the objects identified 
                above.

                The Cotoni-Coast Dairies unit of the monument shall 
                become available for public access upon completion of a 
                management plan by the BLM, consistent with the care 
                and management of the objects identified above.

                Consistent with the care and management of the objects 
                identified above, and except for emergency or 
                authorized administrative purposes, motorized vehicle 
                use in areas being added to the monument shall be 
                permitted only on designated roads, and non-motorized 
                mechanized vehicle use shall be permitted only on 
                designated roads and trails.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to 
                interfere with the operation or maintenance, or the 
                replacement or modification within the existing 
                authorization boundary, of existing weather station, 
                navigation, transportation, utility, pipeline, or 
                telecommunications facilities located on the lands 
                added to the monument in a manner consistent with the 
                care and management of the objects to be protected. 
                Other rights-of-way shall be authorized only if they 
                are necessary for the care and management of the 
                objects to be protected.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge 
                or diminish the rights or jurisdiction of any Indian 
                tribe. The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent 
                permitted by law and in consultation with Indian 
                tribes, ensure the protection of Indian sacred sites 
                and traditional cultural properties in the monument and 
                provide access by members of Indian tribes for 
                traditional cultural and customary uses, consistent 
                with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1996) and Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 
                (Indian Sacred Sites).

                Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the BLM in 
                issuing and administering grazing permits or leases on 
                lands under its jurisdiction shall continue to apply 
                with regard to the lands added to the monument, 
                consistent with the care and management of the objects 
                identified above.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge 
                or diminish the jurisdiction of the State of California 
                or the United States over submerged or other lands 
                within the territorial waters off the coast of 
                California, nor shall it otherwise enlarge or diminish 
                the jurisdiction or authority of the State of 
                California, including its jurisdiction and authority 
                with respect to fish and wildlife management.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the rights or 
                obligations of any State or Federal oil or gas lessee 
                within the territorial waters off the California Coast.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to 
                alter the authority or responsibility of any party with 
                respect to emergency response activities within the 
                monument, including wildland fire response.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke 
                any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; 
                however, the monument shall be the dominant 
                reservation.

[[Page 6137]]

                Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not 
                to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature 
                of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of 
                the lands thereof.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

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[FR Doc. 2017-01327
Filed 1-17-17; 11:15 a.m.]
Billing code 4310-10-C