Federal officials released a proposal Friday to double the size of protected waters within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary — a plan they say will help restore sea life and have minimal effect on the local fishing industry. The draft plan, written by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is the latest piece of a state and federal seven-year effort to preserve essential fish habitat circling the chain of islands. The protected areas of the Channel Islands make up the largest marine reserve network on the West Coast. The new boundaries would add 141 square nautical miles to restricted...
