Statewide Resources

California Coastal Commission: What is it? What does it do?
In the years after World War II, development along the California coast exploded. The 1950s brought population and prosperity to California in ways not seen since the Gold Rush. California seemed to epitomize America's sudden fascination with everything big and modern, supported by a seemingly endless supply of cheap land for new towns and freeways. Hollywood created a mythic vision of constant sun and surfing with films like Gidget (1959) that inspired thousands of people to seek out a life along the coast, while the 1962 Beach Boys song "Surfin' Safari" led off a string of hit songs capitalizing on the California lifestyle. From 1950 to 1970, California's population more than doubled, from 7.5 million to 17.3 million. Developers lined up, eager to build beachside resorts, hotels and homes to fulfill the coastal fantasy for the wealthiest of the new residents.

But there was a price to pay. In addition to tourist destinations and dream homes, oil platforms, marinas, river channels and expanding ports were also constructed, altering the makeup of the coastline and resulting in the loss of 90 percent of the state's original wetlands.

A number of environmental groups saw the increasing pace of coastal development as a threat to the natural beauty that made California unique in the first place. Concerned that local governments were caving to developers who had little interest in preserving the environment, they began to speak out against what they saw as the paving-over of paradise. A massive oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969 made average citizens realize just how fragile California's environment was, and public outcry increased.

A few state politicians tried to get environmental legislation passed in Sacramento but failed, due to a strong building industry lobby. These politicians then joined forces with environmentalists to write Proposition 20, creating a government commission to regulate California coastal development and beginning the process to establish a permanent coastal development plan and regulatory body. Predictably, the real estate and building trade groups opposed the initiative, but an effective advertising campaign touting the value of a coastline protected from unregulated development prevailed. In November 1972, Proposition 20 passed and the California Coastal Commission was created.

The new commission was the most comprehensive statewide coastal development regulatory body in the nation. Other states had some regulations for heavy industry along the shoreline and protections for waterways, but the California Coastal Commission had sweeping powers to approve or veto every proposed development within its jurisdiction in the coastal zone. Even though the commission has a record of approving approximately 95 percent of all permit applications, development along the coast has been managed more effectively and with more attention to public access and local ecology since its creation. The commission has also provided a public platform for challenging development proposals and allowing stakeholders to have input throughout the development process.

The Coastal Act -- A "Permanent" Coastal Commission
With the passage of Proposition 20, the Coastal Commission undertook the task of creating a coastal management plan to guide decision making throughout the approximately 1.5 million-acre coastal zone. By 1975 the plan was completed, and the Coastal Act was passed a year later, making the Coastal Commission a permanent rule-making body with a distinct mission.

Today, the Coastal Commission is made up of 12 voting members appointed by the governor and the legislature and four nonvoting members from state land and resource agencies. Controversy often surrounds the appointment and dismissal of commissioners. With the governor, the state Senate Rules Committee and the assembly speaker each having the power to appoint four commissioners, the makeup and subsequent decisions of the commission often swing from pro-property rights to pro-preservation. Commissioners are appointed to two-year terms, but those who appoint them can also remove and replace them at any time. Critics of past commission decisions have pointed out how this provision leaves commissioners wide open to politics and the influence of lobbyists. In a case reported by the Los Angeles Times, a commissioner was removed suddenly by the governor and replaced with a newly appointed commissioner who showed up for one vote, to approve a lucrative development project, and never appeared again.

Despite questions about credibility and political influence, the Coastal Commission has done much to control development and maintain California's valuable 1,100-mile coastline. The long permitting process and public hearings give all stakeholders a chance to review plans, comment, and make changes that fit community needs and abide by the Coastal Act. When parties disagree with Commission decisions, lawsuits often force protracted battles over coastal land use.

Jurisdiction of the Coastal Commission Under the Coastal Act
"The coastal zone, which was specifically mapped by the Legislature, covers an area larger than the State of Rhode Island," according to the California Coastal Commission Web site. "On land the coastal zone varies in width from several hundred feet in highly urbanized areas up to five miles in certain rural areas, and offshore the coastal zone includes a three-mile-wide band of ocean. The coastal zone established by the Coastal Act does not include San Francisco Bay, where development is regulated by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission."

Local Coastal Plans (LCPs)
Under the Coastal Act, the coastline was divided into a number of sections, each charged with creating a local coastal plan (LCP) to describe proposed land use and zoning laws. The LCPs, approved by the Coastal Commission to ensure compliance with the Coastal Act, are intended to give power back to local governments to control coastal development, while certain issues surrounding coastal access and major development projects still must be approved by the state commission.

Organizations:

Access:
California Coastal Trail (at californiacoastaltrail.info)
Website of the California Coastal Trail, with information on how one can make their way along the entire California coast, although admittedly in some instances the path is blocked by private property, government facilities or water, "But it can be done."

Coastwalk (at coastwalk.org) Coastwalk is a non-profit organization that has been helping people to experience the California coast in an intimate and respectful way for 21 years.

Environmental:
American Oceans Campaign (at oceana.org)
Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the worldŐs oceans.

CREEC Network (at creec.org)
California Regional Environmental Education Community Network

Environment 2004 (at environment2004.org)
Environment2004 is a political organization dedicated to electing leaders who understand the importance of environmental protection.

Environment Now (at environmentnow.org)
Environment Now's mission is to be an active leader in creating measurably effective environmental programs to protect and restore California's environment.

Environmental News Network (at enn.com)
An online news source, aimed at educating the world about environmental issues. ENN tries to "present information from all sides, enabling our users to make their own decisions."

Grist Magazine (at gristmagazine.com)
Online environmental magazine.

Institute for Fisheries Resources (at ifrfish.org)
The Institute for Fisheries Resources is dedicated to the protection and restoration of fish resources and the human economies that depend on them.

Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources (at ijnr.org)
IJNR pursues higher standards of news coverage of natural resources and the environment - standards of accuracy, fairness, balance, depth and context.

Seaflow (at seaflow.org)
Seaflow is a grassroots environmental organization to build an international movement dedicated to protecting ocean life from man-made threats.

Surfrider Foundation (at surfrider.org)
The Surfrider Foundation USA is a non-profit environmental organization working to preserve our oceans, waves & beaches.

Government Agencies:
The California Coastal Commission (at coastal.ca.gov)
The California Coastal Commission's primary mission is to plan for and regulate land and water uses in the coastal zone consistent with the policies of the Coastal Act.

The California Coastal Conservancy (at costalconservancy.ca.gov)
The California Coastal Conservancy, established in 1976 at the same time as the Coastal Commission, is a state agency that uses entrepreneurial techniques to purchase, protect, restore, and enhance coastal resources, and to provide access to the shore.

California Ocean and Coastal Environment Access Network (at ceres.ca.gov)
A web-based virtual library for the discovery of and access to ocean and coastal data and information from a wide variety of sources and in a range of types and formats.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (at noaa.gov)
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nationŐs coastal and marine resources.

State Lands Commission (at www.slc.ca.gov)
The State Lands Commission oversees the Mean High Tide Line, the legal line that divides private property from public property on a beach. They also oversee all lands submerged by water, including coastal lands.

U.S. Geological Service
Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment.

Land Trusts:
Pacific Forest Trust (at pacificforest.org)
Since 1993, the Pacific Forest Trust has worked to preserve, enhance and restore America's private forests -- and to safeguard their incalculable public benefits -- through education, innovation and collaboration.

Trust for Public Land (at tpl.org), Western Regional Office
Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land is the only national nonprofit working exclusively to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being. TPL helps conserve land for recreation and spiritual nourishment and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities.

Legal:
Coast Law Group (at coastlawgroup.com)
The Coast Law Group does environmental, land use and natural resource litigation and advocacy.

Natural Resources Defense Council (at nrdc.org)
NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action organization. They use law, science and the support of more than 1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.

Pacific Legal Foundation (at pacificlegal.org)
Pacific Legal Foundation is AmericaŐs trusted champion of constitutional rights, fighting and winning decisive actions in the courts of law and the court of public opinion to rescue liberty from the grasp of government power. PLF is renowned for battling those who would tread on individual liberty; for confronting government bureaucrats who confiscate private property rights; for opposing government programs that grant special preferences on the basis of race and sex; and for challenging misguided environmental laws that degrade human values.

Protection:
American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (at asbpa.org)
The purpose of the Association is to bring together for cooperation and mutual helpfulness the many agencies, interests and individuals concerned with the protection and proper utilization of our oceans, lakes and rivers.

California Coast Keeper Alliance (at cacoastkeep.org)
Formed in 1999, the California Coastkeeper Alliance is a coalition of local waterkeepers dedicated to protecting and restoring the quality of California's aquatic ecosystems.

California Coastal Coalition (at calcoast.org)
This organization advocates for coastal interests in Sacramento; supports polices and programs that promote the preservation, protection and restoration of California's coastline and spreads awareness of the importance of well-maintained beaches to state and local economies, habitats and quality of life.

The Coast Society (at thecoastalsociety.org)
The Coastal Society is an organization of private sector, academic, and government professionals and students dedicated to actively addressing emerging coastal issues by fostering dialogue, forging partnerships, and promoting communication and education.

Coastal Zone Foundation (at edge.tamu.edu)
A non-profit foundation aimed at providing basic planning and support for coastal-oriented conferences and meeting.

CORE: Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (at coreocean.org)
A non-profit, Washington D.C. based association of U.S. oceanographic research institutions, universities, laboratories, and aquaria, with the goal of promoting and enhancing ocean research and education.

Environmental Defense (at environmentaldefense.org)
Environmental Defense is a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than 400,000 members. Since 1967, they have linked science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems.

Green Info Network
Computer based mapping site.

The Ocean Conservancy (at oceanconservancy.org)
The mission of The Ocean Conservancy is to protect ocean ecosystems and conserve the global abundance and diversity of marine wildlife.

Sea Grant Program (at www.usc.edu)
The University of Southern California's Sea Grant Outreach provides information to the public about Southern California's marine resources, recreational opportunites, boating, and swimming safety, and links academic and educational resources with local, regional and federal government agencies, private organizations, businesses and the general public.

Study:
California Coastal Records Project (at californiacoastline.org) An aerial photographic survey of the California Coastline.

Center for Coastal Studies (at coastalstudies.org)
A private non-profit organization for research, conservation and education in the coastal and marine environments.

The National Ocean Economics Project (at essp.csumb.edu)
The objective of this project is to provide useful data on ocean-related economic activities and resource trends to government, businesses and individuals to assist with investment and management decision as they attempt to balance conservation and growth in coastal areas.

Pew Oceans Commission (at www.pewoceans.org)
The Pew Oceans Commission is an independent group of American leaders conducting a national dialogue on the policies needed to restore and protect living marine resources in U.S. waters.

Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (at env.duke.edu)
PSDS takes a worldwide view of modern coastal processes and geologic hazards. A wide variety of research projects are directed under the auspices of this program, whose ultimate goal is the examination of the geologic basis for managing developed shorelines in a time of rising sea-level.