Celebrate the Coast

BLM welcomes the public to celebrate Point Arena-Stornetta Unit 10-year anniversary of being added to the California Coastal National Monument

he Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would like to invite the public to “Celebrate the Coast,” from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, May 18, at Point Arena. This event marks the 10-year anniversary of the inclusion of the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit to the California Coastal National Monument. The event is free to the public and activities will be happening along the coastal trail between City Hall and the Lighthouse. Mendocino College Field Station, found along the trail, will be offering an open house.

The BLM Ukiah Field Office is hosting the event in partnership with the Friends of Point Arena-Stornetta Lands, Point Arena Lighthouse, City of Point Arena and Mendocino College. A celebration of the grassroots efforts expanding the Monument to include these coastal bluffs, tide pools, dunes, coastal prairies, riverbanks, and the mouth and estuary of the Garcia River will be held at 1 p.m. at the Point Arena Lighthouse. Point Arena-Stornetta public lands was the first onshore unit of the California Coastal National Monument. In 2014, the California Coastal National Monument Gateway Partners successfully advocated for these public lands to be added to the Monument.

Festivities begin at 10 a.m. at Point Arena City Hall, 451 School Street, Point Arena, CA, Mendocino College Field Station on the Lands and Point Arena Lighthouse, 45500 Lighthouse Road, Point Arena, CA. A shuttle will be running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing participants to walk the entirety of the five-mile trail in one direction and get a ride back to their vehicle. Parking is available at City Hall and the Lighthouse. More details can be found on the “Celebrate the Coast” flyer.

Situated along the rugged Mendocino County coastline adjacent to the town of Point Arena, the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit offers spectacular views of coastal bluffs, sea arches, the estuary of the Garcia River and sandy beaches and dunes with eight miles of marked paths. For more information about the California Coastal National Monument and the 10-year anniversary celebration, please visit the official website. The public can also download the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit map and guide.