California Coastal Commission

From CCoWS Wiki
Revision as of 22:33, 8 April 2013 by Dannyw (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search

The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency which serves as the supervising body of the State of California focusing on policies, regulations, and developments which occur on the coastal region.

Background

The CCC was created by the California Coastal Zone Conservation Act of 1972. The CCC then gained permanent status through the 1976 California Coastal Act and was charged with the protection and maintenance of the coastline along California. Their mission is to "Protect, conserve, restore, and enhance environmental and human-based resources of the California coast and ocean for environmentally sustainable and prudent use by current and future generations" [1] The function of the CCC is to develop and review coastal permits as well as permit appeals. They are involved in essentially any decision made with potential impact to a coastal area. They are heavily involved with the function of CEQA in coastal developments and alterations. The commission contains 12 voting members. 6 members are chosen by the public and 6 are elected officials selected for the task.

Current Programs

Access

The California Coastal Act, Section 30001.5 requires the state to "(c) maximize public access to and along the coast and maximize public recreational opportunities in the coastal zone consistent with sound resources conservation principles and constitutionally protected rights of private property owners.” The CCC achieves this through the creation of the Public Access Action Plan, which focuses on three top priorities:

The Offer to Dedicate (OTD) Public Access Easement Program

  • A program focused on creating public accessways through private property through an offer from a private landowner. This program requires an accepting agency, which would be responsible for mitigation of the access impacts, physical improvements (i.e. stairs, signs, etc...), maintenance, and operation, to open specific sites [2].

The California Coastal Trail

  • The California Coastal Trail is a current project focusing on the creation of a coastal trail that spans the distance of the California coastline. This trail, recognized as both a statewide and national resource, is "designed to foster appreciation and stewardship of the scenic and natural resources of the coast and serves to implement aspects of Coastal Act policies promoting non-motorized transportation." [3]

Prescriptive Rights

Public Education

Clean Boating

Water Quality

Enforcement

Federal Consistency

Oil Spill

Local Coastal Programs

Image 1. Map of Local Coastal Programs on the Central Coast.

One key role of the CCC is overseeing the creation and regulation of Local Coastal Programs (LCPs). LCPS are local county or city agencies which undertake the responsibilities of permitting for their particular coastal region. These LCPs are overseen and certified by the CCC.[1] For areas with Certified LCP's, the Commission does not issue Coastal Development permits (except in certain areas where the Commission retains jurisdiction, i.e. public trust lands), and is instead responsible for reviewing amendments to a local agency's LCP, or reviewing Coastal Development Permits issued by local agencies which have been appealed to the Commission. [4]

A Local Coastal Program is composed of a Land Use Plan and an Implementation Plan. A Land Use Plan details the Land Uses which are permissible in each part of the local government's area, and specifies the general policies which apply to each Land Use. The Land Use can be a part of a local government's general plan. The Implementation Plan is responsible for implementing the policies contained in the Land Use Plan. The Implementation Plan is generally a part of the City's Zoning code. [1]

Many of the 76 coastal counties and cities have elected to divide their coastal zone jurisdictions into separate geographic segments, resulting in some 128 separate LCP segments. As of 2011, approximately 72% of the LCP segments have been effectively certified, representing about 85% of the geographic area of the coastal zone, and local governments are issuing coastal permits in these areas. To determine the status of the LCP in any given geographic area, contact the appropriate district office of the Coastal Commission or see the current LCP Status Report and maps of LCPs.

Local Coastal Programs within the Central Coast Area

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 California Coastal Commission: Who We Are
  2. California Coastal Commission Public Access Action Plan
  3. California Coastal Commission Coastal Access Program: The California Coastal Trail
  4. CCC Program Overview


Links

Disclaimer

This page may contain students's work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.