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In accordance with section 304(a) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), as amended, and based on the area’s qualities described in the community-based nomination submitted to NOAA on July 17, 2015 (https:// nominate.noaa.gov/nominations), NOAA initiated a process to consider designating a portion of waters along and offshore of the central coast of California as a national marine sanctuary. This proposed rule follows NOAA's publication, in November 2021, of a Notice of Intent to conduct scoping and to prepare a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed sanctuary. Through the public scoping process, NOAA received support for the proposed designation from a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals at tribal, local, state, regional, and national levels including elected officials, businesses, recreational users, conservation groups, and education groups. This designation would protect this nationally significant area for its culturally and biologically important resources. This final rule will be accompanied by a draft management plan that also identifies opportunities for NOAA to expand upon existing local, tribal, and state efforts to study, interpret, and manage the area’s unique cultural and biological resources. NOAA is also preparing an environmental impact statement concurrent with this action to evaluate environmental impacts of the proposed sanctuary in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).