As I opened the car door, the air lifting off the Klamath River welcomed me. The scent of forest-water-ocean infused me so quickly I nearly lost my footing. But even as it threw me off-balance physically, that pure, primal tang yanked my mind from the place of so-many-things-to-do right into the do-this-be-here-now existence mindful people are always being reminded to cultivate.

Yes, I thought. Here, now. The river filled my vision, hills rising up, fog curled around their peaks, winding down into their valleys. The rain had lightened to a mere butterfly kiss, just enough to remind me what a wet world we live in, weird December sunshine aside. In the face of such beauty, the desire to protect it welled up inside me – like a new parent gazing at their child. No one will ever hurt you, we promise, knowing our powers are limited, but meaning it nonetheless.

The river – as well as the forests surrounding it and the ocean it spills into – has already been harmed in ways that seem unfathomable after the fact. As tribes, legislators, ranchers and the entire Klamath River Basin community struggles to agree on how to undo the damage caused by damming the Klamath, the question is begged, how can we learn from this? We scramble to salvage ourselves and our world from climate change, destroyed fisheries, trashed seas and other environmental disasters hoping it’s not too late.

One place we’ve finally fallen on the mostly proactive side of things is through the Marine Life Protection Act – elsewhere on California’s coast, protected areas have been established largely to repair harm already done. We’ve certainly seen historical changes in our fisheries over the years, but compared to most places, we’re in good shape. Part of that is due to our local fishermen being proactive in advocating for better policies and regulations – please support them by buying local seafood often! – and part of that is the sheer inaccessibility of much of our coastal waters. But informal safeguards are subject to change. By establishing marine protected areas, we not only allow further recovery of less bountiful species, but ensure all our thriving ocean places will stay that way.

The network of 17 marine protected areas proposed for our region, which includes an existing reserve at Point Cabrillo, three estuaries and a portion of south Humboldt Bay, will not only benefit the area off our shores, but the entire California coastline – ours is the final piece completing the state-wide implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act. And good news! The proposed North Coast areas may be adopted as early as June of this year, according to the Fish & Game Commission’s newest calendar.

I thought about all this as I watched waves the size of houses smash against rocks projecting over the ocean’s surface. The rivermouth hooked around, a sand spit holding firm against the power of the waves. I was safe, enjoying the view from an overlook hundreds of feet above danger. Our world is not so lucky, however, and once again, the determination to protect it took hold. I encourage everyone to do what they can, small steps or large, to repair our world, for ourselves, for our children.

Need more information? Start here: Ocean Conservancy, Humboldt Baykeeper, Waterkeeper Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, Humboldt Surfrider.

Ready for action? Go for it! Volunteer with Humboldt Surfrider or Humboldt Baykeeper.

Want to explore North Coast waterways? Try Hum Boats or Kayak Zak’s. (Seasonal!) Take an outdoors adventure with Center Activities.

Further suggestions welcome! Comment below.

Jennifer Savage is the North Coast Coordinator, Pacific Programs, for Ocean Conservancy and also chairs Surfrider Foundation’s Humboldt Chapter.