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Last Push for Expanded Protections at Duxbury!

What’s happening: In October, the Fish & Game Commission will be voting on marine protected area (MPA) petitions that could strengthen or weaken California’s MPA network—including our petition to strengthen and expand protections at Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA), one of the largest shale reefs in North America and home to over 200 species.

Why this matters: This sensitive rocky intertidal habitat is vulnerable to take, trampling, and climate change—and large parts of the reef are currently unprotected.

Agencies recommend expandeded protections: The California Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Ocean Protection Council recommend expanding SMCA protections to cover the full intertidal habitat, protecting intertidal invertebrates and seaweed in the north and south (currently unprotected areas) while allowing existing fishing uses. The agencies highlight clear benefits for biodiversity and climate resilience.

What we’re fighting for: We support protecting the full intertidal habitat at Duxbury Reef as an SMCA. We’re also suggesting narrow expanded boundaries that hug the intertidal, and language clarifications like fishing from shore by hook and line only, and no take from the rocky intertidal zone. Together, these will better protect the reef by reducing visitor confusion while maintaining some onshore and most offshore fishing.

How YOU Can Help:

(1) Participate in the upcoming Commission meeting (virtually or in person).

When: October 14 - 16, 2026 (Specific Days TBD)
Where: California Natural Resources Headquarters Building, 715 P Street, Second Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814 (Remote option available)
What to Attend? Let Us Know Here!

(2) Submit a letter by Sep 30th by filling out the form below. Please customize & see Sample Talking Points below.

Address is optional, except for zip code. If you reside in a rural area and use a Post Office Box, the system may not recognize your address. Use your PO Box Address if that happens.

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Sample Talking Points:

Share your experience with the reef and ocean.
Duxbury Reef’s biodiverse habitat extends beyond the current MPA and should be protected in a State Marine Conservation Area. The north contains habitat ecologically connected the existing MPA. The Double Point/Stormy Stack Special Closure at the end of the northern expansion contains crucial seabird nesting areas, and Double Point is home to one of the largest breeding harbor seal colonies in California. The southern portion of the reef is entirely unprotected but contains many rare reef species, is a resting place for marine mammals, and hosts a harbor seal colony. Protecting these areas will enhance the health of the whole reef by reducing disturbance to reef creatures.
Through prevailing currents, the unprotected area north of Duxbury Reef contributes restoratively to disturbed and stressed areas at the reef and other parts of the coast through the release of larvae and spores, more so than nearly 90 percent of other sites in the state. This area should be protected by the state’s marine protected area network.
Duxbury Reef and the northern unprotected area may become climate refuges for Central and Southern California’s intertidal communities as temperature gradients shift north. Studies show that protected rocky intertidal zones are more resilient to disturbances from climate change and human activity than non-protected zones.
Enhancing access for non-consumptive users, like the thousands of people who visit Duxbury Reef each year to tidepool, take walks, kayak, learn, and study, is important. Non-consumptive users make up the majority of users of Duxbury Reef (an average of 95%), and their recreational and educational experiences will be further enhanced with the protection of the full extent of the reef for the benefit of intertidal health.

Send Your Comments

Below is a sample letter you can use to send the Fish & Game Commission comments by September 30th (ideally) or October 8th (latest). Please customize your comments with your personal connection to Duxbury Reef or the coast, and the sample talking points.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOUR STREET ADDRESS DOESN'T WORK, TRY YOUR PO BOX.

CA Fish and Game Commission

Subject: Comment on Duxbury Reef Petition #2023-32MPA for October Fish & Game Commission Meeting

Message:

I am writing in strong support of Duxbury Reef Petition #2023-32MPA, which is under your consideration at the October Fish and Game Commission meeting. Specifically, I support the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin’s (EAC) current position to protect the northern and southern rocky intertidal habitat adjacent to the current marine protected area (MPA) within a uniform State Marine Conservation Area. I also urge the Commission to adopt EAC’s suggested language clarifications to better protect tidepool life, along with the suggested narrow boundaries. Recommendations from both California Department of Fish & Wildlife (Department) and Ocean Protection Council (OPC) staff support expanding State Marine Conservation Area protections to the north and south to protect the intertidal. The Department’s evaluation highlights how adopting these expansions has the potential to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem function by protecting connected habitat, increasing climate resiliency, and improving MPA design. OPC’s evaluation echoes these benefits, adding that protections could increase biomass of currently harvested intertidal species, bolster species richness and diversity, and protect ecological connectivity. The original MPA network was not designed with climate change in mind. With strong evidence of a changing climate, warming oceans, and a cascade of ecosystem impacts, this is the chance of a decade to make MPAs more resilient against climate change. While MPAs alone cannot protect ecosystems from climate impacts, recent science has shown that protected rocky intertidal ecosystems resist and recover from climate-driven disturbances better than unprotected ones. I urge the Commission to adopt expanded and increased protections for Duxbury Reef for the benefit of the more than 200 species that call it home and the current and future generations of people who enjoy it for educational and recreational value. Thank you.

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Thank You for Supporting Duxbury Reef and Marine Protected Areas!