Channel Islands National Park 30th Anniversary: Charting a Course for the Future

Date: February 18, 2010
Contact: Yvonne Menard, 805-658-5725

During the March “From Shore to Sea” lectures, Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau will commemorate the park’s 30th anniversary. 

In March, Channel Islands National Park celebrates its 30th anniversary as our nation’s 40th national park. The five islands and the surrounding one mile of ocean that comprise this national park were designated on March 5, 1980, when President Jimmy Carter signed Public Law 96-199. In a letter Carter wrote, “These beautiful, fragile islands richly deserve the recognition and protection that park status provides.”

Galipeau will highlight some of the restoration efforts made since the park was established by presenting the film “Restoring Balance: Santa Cruz Island,” which focuses on a recent effort to save the island fox, reestablish bald eagles, eliminate non-native feral pigs, and relocate golden eagles as part of an island-wide restoration project.

Following the film, Galipeau will look ahead as the park charts its course for the next 30 years. He will discuss upcoming plans and restoration projects, including the undertaking of a new General Management Plan that will provide a vision for the future. The new plan will help identify how the National Park Service may best provide for visitor enjoyment of the park while still protecting cultural and natural resources for future generations. 

The “From Shore to Sea” lecture series is jointly sponsored by Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary with support from Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. The purpose of the series is to further the understanding of current research on the Channel Islands and surrounding waters. The lectures occur at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way in the Santa Barbara Harbor and Wednesday,March 10, 2010, at the Channel Islands National Park Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center, 1901 Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor. The programs are free and open to the public.