Five Fort Bragg area groups today joined 35 other California organizations as "Collaborative Partners" in the Bureau of Land Management's effort to promote and protect the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM).

The five new partners are Visit Mendocino, the Mendocino Land Trust, Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, Daughters of the Golden West and Mendocino Area Parks Association (MAPA).

Located off the 1,100 miles of California coastline, the California Coastal National Monument comprises more than 20,000 small islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles between Mexico and Oregon. The scenic qualities and critical habitat of this public resource are protected as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, administered by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Fort Bragg City Council will consider joining the program at an upcoming meeting.

"We would love to see Fort Bragg act as a gateway to the national monument," said Ruth Sparks, member of the Fort Bragg Promotion Committee and organizer of the event. Learn more.