WHEREAS, In prehistoric times, the Chumash territory encompassed some 7,000 square miles, and today, this same region in southern central California takes in five counties, including Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, and Kern; and

WHEREAS, While some place names in this geographic region reflect their Chumash language origins, the trails and routes that connected them remain unrecognized as the forerunners of today’s highways; and

WHEREAS, State Highway Route 154 follows an elaborate Chumash trail network, which linked several hundred early Chumash villages and towns, seasonal encampments, rock art sites, shrines, gathering places, and water sources, and these trails were vital to sustaining cultural longevity for over 8,000 years in this region as they formed the foundation for economic and social exchange among the Chumash; and

WHEREAS, In historic times, routes through the Chumash territory were first recorded in the diaries of the Gaspar de Portola Expedition in 1769, in which it is noted that in many instances Chumash Indians led members of the expedition from one village to another, showing them the trails; and

WHEREAS, Many notable works subsequently validate the location of the Chumash trail system, including along present-day State Highway Route 154; and

WHEREAS, Numerous archaeological sites along State Highway Route 154 further support the historical significance of the area and the trails to the Chumash; and

WHEREAS, It is accordingly appropriate to designate State Highway Route 154 as the Chumash Highway; now, therefore, be it