The Dangerous Push to Defund the California Coastal Commission

From the shifting sand dunes of Montaña de Oro to the lively shores of Venice Beach, California’s coastline has long been a treasure shared by all. At the heart of its protection stands the California Coastal Commission (CCC), an agency created not to stop progress, but to make sure our coastline is cared for and protected. Without adequate funding, the CCC’s ability to enforce environmental laws, protect public beach access, and conserve natural habitats will be fundamentally weakened.

Established through Proposition 20 in 1972 and made permanent under the California Coastal Act of 1976, the CCC has served as California’s frontline defense against unregulated coastal development. It oversees projects while protecting the environment and supporting responsible growth. The CCC reviews proposals large and small to prevent the exploitation of natural resources and ensure that development aligns both environmentally and with the public interest. 

Since its earliest days, the CCC has contributed to shaping the California coastline. In the 1970s and 1980s, the commission played a critical role in preventing coastal freeway expansions and high rise developments that threatened the sensitive shoreline areas. Instead, it preserved open spaces and protected public lands that are now iconic parts of California’s landscape. The CCC has been instrumental in advancing the California Coastal Trail, a project aimed at extending hiking trails connecting the entire coastline of California for public use. It also fought to protect critical wetlands like the Ballona Wetlands and Elkhorn Slough from irreversible development. From ensuring public access to Martins Beach and Carbon Beach to opposing offshore oil drilling, the CCC’s influence can be seen in nearly every stretch of coastline where nature remains open and protected.

Photo courtesy of Mike Guth

The CCC has also helped California strengthen its resilience towards future environmental issues. As the coast faces sea level rise, extreme King Tides, beach and bluff erosion driven by climate change  continues, the CCC is implementing adaptation strategies that protect both at-risk communities and ecosystems. Its work has helped California avoid the developmental pitfalls seen in other coastal regions.

While the CCC is sometimes viewed as a regulatory hurdle, its track record shows that smart development and environmental protection can coexist. The commission’s purpose is to not block progress, but to make sure that growth happens responsibly. By working on projects from infrastructure to desalination, the CCC helps keep California’s coast healthy and sustainable for future generations.

Defunding the CCC would strip the state of one of its most effective tools for protecting coastal regions from harmful development, restriction of public access, and maintaining natural resources. As growing concerns of climate change intensify, the future of California’s coastline depends on protective regulation, one that values ecological integrity and responsible development.
 

Broad Leaf Lupine at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park.  Photo courtesy of Kristen Sandel.
 

Bills, Bills, Bills!  Water Bills to Watch in 2025

The 2025 California State Legislature is in full swing. Every year, hundreds of environmental bills are introduced in the state legislature, and Sierra Club CA- the legislative and regulatory branch of the Sierra Club in California- tracks these bills to ensure good environmental bills are passed and bad environmental bills are stopped. Our staff of dedicated advocates track issues ranging from energy, plastics, transportation, public lands, wildlife, and of course- WATER!

Of the 421 bills we are tracking- 65 of these are related to water. Here’s what you need to know.

The Good

AB 43: Wild and scenic rivers (Asm. Schultz) would indefinitely extend the authority of the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to add rivers or segments of rivers to the state’s wild and scenic rivers system in the event these rivers lose federal protection and are delisted from the national wild and scenic rivers system. Sierra Club anticipates seeing significant federal rollbacks of environmental protections like we encountered during Trump’s first term – and we need to ensure California’s waterways are safeguarded against these rollbacks.

AB 362: Water policy: California tribal communities (Asm. Ramos, cosponsored by Sen. Richardson) would establish tribal water uses, aka Tribal Beneficial Use (TBUs) as protected under the California Water Code – acknowledging the historical and cultural significance of water bodies to California’s Tribal Communities. Tribal Nations are the original stewards and protectors of land and water resources not only in California – but across the globe. This bill is needed to ensure Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is incorporated into regulatory processes and the state’s overall water management framework.

SB 601: Water: waste discharge (Sen. Allen, cosponsored by Sen. Gonzalez). Also known as “the Right to Clean Water Act”, this bill would strengthen state water quality protections to put California waters back where they were before the Supreme Court sharply constricted the scope of the federal Clean Water Act in 2023’s Sackett v. EPA decision. This is another important (and unfortunately necessary) bill that attempts to redress the dismantling of environmental protections and regulations at the federal level. With the near constant barrage of federal attacks, it becomes all the more important for California to stand up and fight back.

SB 350: Water Rate Assistance Program (Sen. Durazo) would establish the first in the nation statewide water rate assistance program. This program aims to provide financial assistance to low-income residential water and wastewater ratepayers to help ensure access to affordable drinking water and wastewater services. At a time when people across the nation, particularly in California- are facing an unaffordability crisis, the last thing people need to worry about is how they’re going to pay their water bills. This bill will provide necessary financial support to the state’s most vulnerable residents. Water is a human right!

The Bad

AB 1367: The California Water Plan: water storage (Asm. Gallagher) would amend the California Water Plan to prioritize water storage as the main strategy for meeting future water demands across various sectors. Far too many legislators, government officials, and water district representatives are stuck in the past. 19th century water solutions will not solve 21st century water problems. As our world faces extremes and uncertainties due to the climate crisis,  local and regional water projects such as water recycling/purification, stormwater capture, and groundwater recharge are the only pathways to a sustainable and resilient water supply that will meet the needs of the moment now and in the future.

The Ugly

AB 295: CEQA Streamlining (Asm. Macedo) would extend streamlined environmental review processes to include water storage, water conveyance, and groundwater recharge projects and would be used to further fast track harmful projects like the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir. Sierra Club has long opposed the Delta Tunnel project as well as its sister project, Sites Reservoir. We certainly don’t need the legislature’s help to subvert public processes and undermine one of California’s landmark environmental laws. Gov. Newsom and Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth seem to be doing that all on their own.

AB 10: California Coastal Commission: consistency determinations: Vandenberg Space Force Base (Asm. Essayli) would override the California Coastal Commission’s October 2024 objection to allow increased SpaceX launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base off the Santa Barbara coast, effective immediately. This bill is just one of many attacks the California Coastal Commission has endured over the past couple months including a federal bill that has been introduced in congress by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) to “reign in” (i.e. tear apart) the California Coastal Commission and the voter approved California Coastal Act.

We need Sierra Club volunteers and members of the public to stand strong against these attacks now more than ever to protect the California Coastal Commission and keep our coastlines safe from special interests and exploding rockets.

As this year’s legislative session progresses, be sure to watch your inbox for ways you can take action to help protect our environment. And rest assured, Sierra Club CA will be there every step of the way to advocate for bold environmental policies at the State Capitol.

 

Sky Lupine at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park.  Photo courtesy of Kristen Sandel.
 

Political Committee makes endorsements of candidates and ballot measures during election years.
Contact: Chair Micah Posner micahposner@cruzio.com