We'll let Governor Schwarzenegger have the first word in this post: "Here in California we have many beautiful sites such as Hollywood, Yosemite, Disneyland and many others." Hmmm, we choose the middle one. Actually, yesterday's observation by Arnold turned out to be a qualifier for what the California governor really thinks is beautiful: the Pacific Ocean.

In a joint announcement yesterday, Schwarzenegger and two West Coast governor colleagues -- Oregon's Ted Kulongoski and Washington's Chris Gregoire -- released a Pacific Ocean action plan aimed at preserving coastal waters and beaches, restoring fisheries and preparing for rising sea levels.

The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative action plan also calls for ecologically sound offshore energy development, including a coordinated look at renewable wind, wave, current and tidal energy. The 116-page document makes it clear that recent efforts to lift the offshore drilling moratorium do not mesh well with these goals, saying the commission opposes "all new offshore oil and gas leasing, development and production."

The three governors hope to create a trust fund to help pay for protection efforts. A letter sent to Congress yesterday requests $5 million for the initiative.