Gateway Communities

California Coastal National Monument Gateways are sections of the California coast that serve as focal points and visitor contact locations for the National Monument.

Gateways can be areas, towns, cities, or communities that have infrastructure and interest in providing visitor information and services. The BLM is developing Gateway partnerships that follow the principles of geotourism, that is - tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, including its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

Gateway partnerships are a means to support organized local stewardship for shoreline regions through the development of a consortium of the area’s resource managers and advocates.

Gateways respond to a local sense of place for this unique and extensive monument. They feature strongly in BLM outreach and community relationships.

The intent is to use the CCNM partnerships to help enhance partners’ capabilities by being part of a collaborative initiative to share resources and expertise, leverage limited funding, and create seamless management.  Of the CCNM's 36 sub-units described in the Resource Management Plan, 12 were identified as providing multiple opportunities with a variety of partners to serve as CCNM's key contact points: 

• Big Sur
• Crescent City
• Elk
• Fort Bragg-Mendocino
• Lost Coast
• Monterey Peninsula
• Palos Verde Peninsula
• Piedras Blancas/San Simeon
• Pigeon Point
• Point Arena
• Sonoma
• Trinidad