City Council Proclaims April Sea Turtle Awareness Month

April is Sea Turtle Awareness month in Pacifica and our Earth Day work, led by the Pacifica Beach Coalition, is dedicated to the seven species of sea turtles in the world.

Thank you, City Council. What a wonderful proclamation Monday night!

The sea turtles need all of our help. Pledge today to use reusable bags and say goodbye to plastic bag ones! It is the one thing we all can do today that has an immediate impact on the Sea Turtles EVERYWHERE!

Here's the proclomation:

            Earth Day 2012

SEA TURTLE AWARENESS MONTH

Whereas, Earth Day is a day when focus on protection and preservation of our environment is intensified, when awareness is increased and action is taken by many people. Pacifica is home to many natural wonders and scenic beauty such as the Montara Mountain Range, rolling hills, trails and the Pacific Ocean which are filled with wildlife in need of protection; and

Whereas,  Each year Pacifica's Earth Day is dedicated to an animal that shares with us, our coastal waters, trees, creeks, wetlands, beaches and dunes and that is in need of protection, including the Western Snowy Plover, the Steelhead Trout, the California Brown Pelican and the California Gray Whale. This year the Sea Turtle will be duly recognized and proclaimed as Pacifica's Earth Day animal of the year 2012;  The Sea Turtle is a large, air-breathing reptile and ancient ocean dweller that has lived on the earth for 150 million years and inhabits tropical and subtropical ocean waters throughout the world; and

Whereas,  There are 7 species of Sea Turtles all of which are either critically endangered or threatened, including the Green, Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Flatback and Loggerhead Sea Turtles. And the Leatherback Sea Turtle is known to inhabit Bay Area waters; and

Whereas, Sea Turtles are part of two ecosystems, the beach/dune system and the marine system and only a fraction of the many thousands of newborn hatchlings born every year will emerge from their nests to survive to adulthood due to various threats including poaching, commercial fishing, destruction of nesting beaches, pollution and plastic debris in the ocean, and climate change which causes ocean temperatures to rise and results in negative impacts to the Sea Turtles food resources; and

Whereas, To truly protect Sea Turtles around the world, it will take the cooperation of many different countries and cultures. Locally, residents and visitors to our City can make a difference by minimizing plastic bag use and amount of garbage produced. Actions including recycling, cleaning up litter, and eliminating use of toxic chemicals will all help the ocean environment, Sea Turtles, and further protect all marine life; and

Whereas, The continued efforts by the City and citizens of Pacifica to maintain a clean natural environment and mitigate climate change will benefit all living things, such as the Western Leatherback Sea Turtle as well as Sea Turtle species world wide; and

Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved and Ordered that the City Council of the City of Pacifica does hereby proclaim Earth Day 2012 as

Sea Turtle Awareness Day

And further dedicate the month of April 2012 and the Pacifica Beach Coalition’s 2012 Earth Day of Action Event to the Sea Turtles of the world.

DONE this 26th day of March, 2012

Peter De Jarnatt, Mayor