Comment period reopened to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

If you couldn't find the time to speak up on behalf of protecting our local coastal waters, you get a second chance.

On July 26—the day public comment on the matter was slated to close—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it would reopen the comment period, from July 31-Aug. 14, on Trump's Executive Order 13795.

Broadly speaking, the order could weaken protections for 11 national marine sanctuaries and monuments, opening them up to oil exploration, and calls for a review of all sanctuaries and monuments that were designated and expanded since April 28, 2007, exactly 10 years before Trump gave the order this year.

In the order, Trump calls for an analysis of the "opportunity costs associated with potential energy and mineral exploration and production from the Outer Continental Shelf."

That means the Davidson Seamount, which became part the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 2008, could become vulnerable to offshore oil exploration.

The Davidson Seamount, which is off the coast of Big Sur, is one of the largest seamounts in the world, and is 23 nautical miles long, seven nautical miles wide and is 7,480 feet tall.

It is also rich with corals and marine life, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium calls it "a deep-sea oasis of life."

"With the stroke of a pen, we've taken a huge step backward from a proud 40 year history of U.S. global leadership in ocean conservation," says Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard in statement.

"At a time of rapid global change, we need more protection for ocean resources – not less," she adds. "I'm proud to stand with West Coast governors who are acting together to prevent the threats from disastrous offshore oil spills, and to pursue a clean energy future."

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, wrote an op-ed in The Hillurging that marine sanctuaries be protected from offshore drilling.

"Our marine sanctuaries are living legacies that belong to all of us," he writes. "It will take a lot more than an executive order by President Trump to turn back the clock on the incredible work done to establish these treasures."

In a July 17 statement, he adds, "We on the Central Coast know how important the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is to our home. It not only protects our ocean, it's an economic driver from tourism, recreation, fishing, and research.

"We have to take advantage of this opportunity to tell the Administration that our sanctuary must remain protected."

In a July 10 emergency meeting, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council unanimously approved a comment letter to NOAA that outlined its concerns about the order, highlighting the rich biological resources that exist at Davidson Seamount, and its importance to the ecosystem of the greater Central Coast.

"In summary," the letter reads, "the Davidson Seamount is a unique fragile and vulnerable habitat that could not survive energy exploration and production."

The California Coastal Commission weighed in with a July 21 letter opposing the order that offered rich detail.

"The marine resource values for each of these sanctuaries are high, and the potential for oil and

gas development is low," it reads. "Moreover, due to the primarily rural nature of development in the regions onshore from these sanctuaries, there is no available infrastructure that might enable oil and gas development to be practical or economically viable.

"California's long history with offshore oil and gas activities has taught us, especially in the

aftermath of the 2015 Santa Barbara County Refugio Oil Spill," the letter continues, "that such development can significantly threaten California's coastal environment and its extremely important multi-billion dollar coast and ocean economy."

To that end, the Monterey Bay Aquarium reached out to local businesses to garner their support in opposing the measure. Those that signed on include the members of the Fisherman's Wharf Association, Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Monterey County Hospitality Association, Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce and Monterey County Property Owners Association.

In a July 27 statement, NOAA spokeswoman Keeley Belva stated the reopening of the comment period was "due to public interest and requests for additional time."

You can comment at regulations.gov by clicking on the "comment now!" button. But wait until July 31, so that comment will count.