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The Foundation is the local non-profit partner and chief advocate for NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and is the local chapter of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Its mission is to leave a thriving sanctuary to future generations by protecting wildlife and habitats, raising sanctuary visibility, and inspiring the public to be its stewards.

The Foundation’s vision is a healthy Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary recognized as a national treasure for its unique and abundant biodiversity and widespread community support. Investments support wildlife protection programs like rescuing whales entangled in fishing gear, endangered black abalone rescue and recovery, protecting kelp habitats, marine debris cleanup efforts, and fishing gear innovations. The Foundation seeks to inspire the public to learn about the sanctuary through K-12 programming and college internships to show why the sanctuary is vital to our region’s economy, way of life, and health of the planet.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is part of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System, a network of nationally significant protected areas comprised of 15 national marine sanctuaries and 2 marine national monuments that span more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters.

For more information, visit montereybayfoundation.org.

Secretary Leon Panetta leads the Foundation as Co-Chairperson and has had a fifty-year career in public service at the highest levels of Government. He served in the Obama Administration first as CIA Director and then as Secretary of Defense from 2009-2013. He also served in the Clinton Administration as director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and later was appointed White House chief of staff. Elected to Congress in 1976, Secretary Panetta represented the California Central Coast district for 16 years and led in the creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 1992.

Secretary Panetta is joined on the board of directors by three other individuals who have been working to protect the Monterey Bay for the past 40 years: Former US Congressman Sam Farr, Community Activist Dan Haifley and Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley were all involved in the fight to ban offshore oil in the Monterey Bay in the 1980’s and are still working tirelessly to protect and support it today.

The illustrious and dedicated board also includes Co-Chairperson: Hilary Bryant, former Santa Cruz City Mayor; Martine Watkins, Santa Cruz City Councilmember; Yvette Lopez Brooks, former Capitola Mayor, Ted Balestreri, Gordon Eubanks, Nova Covington, Christina Sandera, and Dr. Lisa Wooninck (ex officio).

Bay of Life Fund

The Bay of Life Fund supports nonprofit environmental organizations with their educational and conservation programs in the Monterey Bay region, in the context of the Bay of Life Project launched by Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom. Initial partners include the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, the Sempervirens Fund, and others.

Bay of Life Project

The Bay of Life Project connects land and sea and people with nature to promote a unified view of the Monterey Bay region through publications, exhibitions, events, and partnerships. The Project aims to stimulate engagement that contributes to a sustainable future for the Bay of Life.

Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom have documented our living planet on assignment for National Geographic for more than 30 years. But the place they know best is California’s Monterey Bay, where they have lived for decades. “To us, Monterey Bay is one of Earth’s crown jewels,” they write. “We know of no other place in the world where land and sea connect in such an extraordinary way.”

The book, Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, is the centerpiece of the Bay of Life Project. It is available as a hardcover book and as an oversized, slipcased Collector’s Edition. A Spanish-language edition is planned for 2024.

Bay of Life chronicles a remarkable recovery, which shows that damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and take action together. Such stories of hope are needed as we face new challenges of habitat connectivity, climate change, and the need for more inclusive opportunities for our diverse communities.

The BayofLife.net website is the portal to images, stories, videos, and other content from the project along with a calendar of events and links to partner organizations.

For more information, visit bayoflife.net.

Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County is the parent non-profit of the Bay of Life Fund and will distribute donations collected through this program to local environmental nonprofits, as described above. Its mission is to bring together people, ideas, and resources to inspire philanthropy and accomplish great things. Its vision is to make Santa Cruz County thrive for all those who call it home, now and in the future. The Community Foundation supports effective programs that address community issues and enrich the lives of Santa Cruz County residents. It earns trust through integrity, accountability, discretion, transparency, prudence, and extraordinary service. It leverages its resources toward a future that is just, equitable, and inclusive of a diverse community.

For more information, visit cfscc.org.

Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom are partners in life and work. They promote knowledge and understanding about the Earth through images and stories that convey a sense of wonder and concern about our living planet. Through their work and alliances, they create leverage for conservation efforts ranging from local initiatives to global campaigns. Lanting and Eckstrom have brought their vast experience to the One Ride at a Time Campaign by providing imagery, written content, and partnerships.

Frans Lanting

Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. Lanting’s books include Into Africa, LIFE, Jungles, Eye to Eye, Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape, and Okavango. Lanting is an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund and has received numerous awards for his work, including the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s first Lifetime Achievement Award. HRH Prince Bernhard inducted him as a Knight in the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Netherlands’ highest conservation honor.

For more information, visit: lanting.com.

Chris Eckstrom

Chis Eckstrom is a writer, editor, and videographer. She is the author of Forgotten Edens, and as a staff writer, she contributed to many books published by the National Geographic Society. She earned a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award for Best Magazine Article on Foreign Travel for her National Geographic Traveler story “The Last Real Africa.” The editor of Lanting’s books, she has also produced stories for the National Geographic Channel.

For more information, visit lanting.com.

GO Santa Cruz County is the ridesharing incentive program run by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC). Its online commute management tool, available to all who live or work in Santa Cruz County, is a key part of SCCRTC’s ongoing effort to reduce drive-alone trips and greenhouse gas emissions and play an active role in addressing climate change. GO Santa Cruz County is partially funded by voter-approved Measure D, which provides a balanced vision to improve, operate, and maintain Santa Cruz County’s transportation network.

For more information, visit https://sccrtc.org

Jodi Frediani is a Santa Cruz-based, award-winning photographer and humpback whale researcher whose photographic exploits and field research activities have taken her on adventures to Africa, Alaska, Argentina, Antarctica, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Franz Josef Land, Mongolia, Norway, Siberia, South Georgia, Thailand, and Tonga. Her images have won numerous international accolades, have been recognized for excellence in multiple national and international competitions and juried exhibits, and have been widely published, including by the BBC, National Geographic, the Atlantic, and Wired. As a researcher, she collaborates with organizations including SETI, Alaska Whale Foundation, College of the Atlantic, CEBSE, Happywhale, Cascadia Research, California Whale Rescue, California Academy of Sciences, and California Killer Whale Project.

For more information, visit jodifrediani.com

Kevin Lohman is a nature photographer living in Santa Cruz, California, with an educational background in marine science. He travels worldwide for photography but spends most of his time along the coastal areas of Central and Northern California. Kevin has had images recognized in many photo contests, including Audubon Photography Awards, North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Showcase, the International Share the View Nature Photography contest, and the international Comedy Wildlife competition. Locally, Kevin has been featured on covers of the annual Elkhorn Slough Foundation calendar. His years studying marine science and the beautiful coastal areas of California inspire his photography.

More information: www.kevinlohman.com

Donations to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation support efforts to rescue whales entangled in fishing gear and other marine debris. The Foundation helps train rescuers, provides equipment and access to rescue vessels, as well as, supports entanglement prevention efforts like developing fishing gear innovations and marine debris cleanups.

The Whale Rescue Program is one of many ways the Foundation realizes its vision of a healthy Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary recognized as a national treasure for its unique and abundant biodiversity, and widespread community support.

To learn more, visit https://montereybayfoundation.org/our-work/

The Bay of Life Fund supports the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County with their work to ensure a future for mountain lions by establishing habitat corridors including highway underpasses and overpasses at critical spots where these big cats need to be able to cross our busy roads without getting killed.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz is dedicated to protecting, caring for, and connecting people to the extraordinary lands and species that make the Monterey Bay region special. To date, the Land Trust has preserved more than 14,000 acres of land in Santa Cruz County, thus protecting water supplies, wildlife habitats, and open space.

To learn more, visit https://www.landtrustsantacruz.org/galleries/highway-17/

Donations to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation support efforts to protect marine life, including endangered sea otters. The Foundation helps to fund trained volunteer naturalists to educate humans about getting too close to sensitive wildlife, works to protect coastal habitats, and removes marine debris from the ocean.

Marine mammal protection is one of many ways the Foundation realizes its vision of a healthy Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary recognized as a national treasure for its unique and abundant biodiversity, and widespread community support.

To learn more, visit https://montereybay.noaa.gov/educate/to/welcome.html

The Bay of Life Fund supports the work of the Sempervirens Fund, whose efforts safeguard redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, ensuring they will never be developed, degraded, or destroyed.

Sempervirens Fund, California’s first land trust, has protected more than 56 square miles of redwood-forested land in the Santa Cruz mountains and helped establish three state and two regional parks since it was established in 1900. Today, it owns and cares for 11,000 acres of critical redwood habitat.

To learn more, visit https://sempervirens.org/protect/santa-cruz-mountains/

Donations to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation sponsor Team OCEAN, a dedicated group of trained naturalists who position themselves at harbor seal pupping beaches, kindly reminding visitors to maintain a safe distance from harbor seal mothers and their adorable pups.

To learn more, visit https://montereybay.noaa.gov/educate/to/

Donations to the Bay of Life Fund support the incredible work of the Predatory Bird Research Group. Their work has helped bring Peregrine Falcons back from endangered status, and they continue to monitor Peregrine Falcon populations, as well as, work with many other important predatory bird species. Their successful outreach and education programs inspire hope for all environmentalists.

To learn more, visit https://pbrg.pbsci.ucsc.edu/

Donations to the Bay of Life Fund support the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people with nature and science to foster stewardship of the natural world. Established in 1904, it is the first museum in Santa Cruz and houses the founding collection of Laura Hecox, a lighthouse keeper and naturalist. The museum offers hands-on exhibits for children, families, and adults interested in the natural history of the scenic California coast. Its core goals include building a community focused on environmental stewardship, providing dynamic learning and exploration opportunities, offering interactive education for all ages, celebrating species, people, and cultures, promoting global environmental awareness and local action, and collaborating with others to bring about positive change. The museum upholds ethics, integrity, and mutual respect in all its endeavors.

To learn more, visit https://www.santacruzmuseum.org/monarch-butterfly/.

The Bay of Life Fund donates to Save Our Shores, a nonprofit that ensures ocean conservation throughout the community. Their programs and projects are designed to support the foundations of a thriving Monterey Bay: clean shores, healthy habitats, and living waters. They host beach cleanups, offer education, and empower the local community to take ownership of the vision for a healthy, vibrant Monterey Bay.

To learn more, visit https://saveourshores.org/

Donations to the Bay of Life Fund protect the Elkhorn Slough, a picturesque and biologically diverse estuary located in Monterey Bay. It is home to a remarkable variety of birds, plants, marine mammals, and fish. With over 340 identified bird species, it has been recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area. The slough also supports a large population of Southern sea otters, harbor seals, and California sea lions. This vibrant ecosystem encompasses wetlands, marshes, oak woodlands, and maritime chaparral. Aside from its beauty, the wetlands serve as natural filters, purifying water before it reaches streams and oceans, and they play a crucial role in carbon sequestration. However, unsustainable practices and environmental stressors threaten the slough’s health and habitats. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Elkhorn Slough Foundation, in collaboration with partners like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, work to conserve and restore this unique environment.

To learn more, visit: https://elkhornslough.org

Our goal is to provide 175 new affordable housing units in Santa Cruz and Watsonville by 2033.

Pacific Station

The Pacific Station complex is METRO’s primary transit center, serving 15 routes with connections to UCSC, Scotts Valley, Watsonville and San Jose. Originally constructed in the early 1980s, the facility is in dire need of renovation and modernization.

The City of Santa Cruz and METRO have been conducting outreach and planning for the redevelopment of Pacific Station since 2002. The property’s prime downtown location makes it both an important transportation hub and an attractive site for developing affordable housing. In support of the most recent redevelopment efforts, the METRO Board of Directors approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June 2020 between the City of Santa Cruz and METRO in which the parties agreed to work together to apply for a state Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant to redevelop the site and adjacent City-owned properties into a new transit center and affordable, mixed-use development.

In January 2022, the project was awarded $29.6 million in AHSC funds from the California Strategic Growth Council to develop 126 units of affordable housing and a new METRO station and bus tarmac in a net-zero, seven story, mixed-use development. The project has also received a $20.9 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) program, $500,000 in California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) funds, and affordable housing tax credits. Together with METRO’s financial contribution of $4 million, the project was fully funded and broke ground in February 2024, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

In early 2024, METRO began the two-year architecture and engineering phase of a project to redevelop the Watsonville Transit Center into an affordable, transit-oriented development. When completed, the development will include more than 65 units of net-zero affordable housing.

The ground floor of this infill development will serve as a METRO transit center and ticketing office with the affordable house units located on the upper floors. Bus operations will be relocated to on-street bus bays to maximize the potential of the one-acre site.

In addition, METRO plans to operate two bus routes with 15-minute frequencies between the Watsonville Transit Center and Santa Cruz. These routes will meet the state’s definition of high quality transit.

Located within downtown, the project is a key element of the City of Watsonville’s overall revitalization effort. It will directly increase fair housing in the area because 100% of the dwelling units will be affordable. The project will also indirectly support the construction of housing in Watsonville through the implementation of bus services that meet the state’s definition of high-quality transit. This designation allows the City and developers to streamline certain California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and reduce parking, if they choose.

Funding for the project comes from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments’ (AMBAG) Regional Early Action Planning Grants of 2021 program (REAP 2.0) and the California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).