The Central Coast is renowned for its scenic landscapes and vibrant environment. The Carrizo Plain National Monument east of San Luis Obispo is a key contributor to this well-deserved reputation.

After years of terrible drought in California, much-needed rain brought the hills of the Carrizo Plain brilliantly alive, blanketed by purple and gold wildflowers.

Thousands of visitors flocked to witness the “superbloom,” to catch a glimpse of this natural wonder that was so expansive it was captured in photographs taken by NASA satellites.

As Carrizo Plain’s beautiful grasslands were gaining national attention for this historic bloom, the president simultaneously penned a misguided executive order requiring the Department of the Interior to evaluate monument declarations made by his three most recent predecessors.

The Carrizo Plain falls into this category, along with 21 other national monuments across the country. That could end protections for our most treasured natural landscapes and leave the Carrizo Plain vulnerable to future oil drilling and mining.