Difference between revisions of "California Coastal Trail (CCT)"

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* [[The Condor Trail]]
 
* [[The Condor Trail]]
 
* [[California Coastal Conservancy]]
 
* [[California Coastal Conservancy]]
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* [[Long distance trails in California's Central Coast Region]]
 
* [[Recreational Planning Initiatives in the California Central Coast]]
 
* [[Recreational Planning Initiatives in the California Central Coast]]
 
* [http://californiacoastaltrail.info/cms/pages/main/index.html CA Coastal Trail Project Website]
 
* [http://californiacoastaltrail.info/cms/pages/main/index.html CA Coastal Trail Project Website]

Revision as of 15:52, 11 March 2021

California Coastal Trail logo. Photo from [http://www.californiacoastaltrail.info/cms/pages/main/index.html California Coastal Trail

Summary

The California Coastal Trail (CCT) a large-scale environmental conservancy and public project by the California Coastal Conservancy [1]. The goal is to create a California Coast network of public trails for walkers, bikers, equestrians, wheelchair riders, separated from dangerous automobile traffic. Designed to be one continuous trail, the coastline is broken up by private land.

Today, roughly 60% of the CCT is complete. The Conservancy works to complete the trail while working with other state agencies, including the Coastal Commission and State Parks, to coordinate the development of the CCT [2].

History

Records of individuals or groups hiking the entirety of the California Coastline goes back as far as 1911 [3]. The dream of connecting the coastline in one uninterrupted trail for the public took its first steps in 1972 when Proposition 20 was passed by congress. Proposition 20 stated the desire to build “a hiking, bicycle, and equestrian trails system shall be established along or near the coast” and that “ideally the trails system should be continuous and located near the shoreline.” [4]

Proposition 20 "Creates State Coastal Zone Conservation Commission and six regional commissions." Prop. 20 set criteria for "preservation, protection, restoration, and enhancement of environment and ecology of the coastal zone" and required the submission other these plans to legislatures. They defined this coastal zone as "the area between the seaward limits of state jurisdiction and 1000 yards landward from the mean high tide line, subject to specified exceptions." within this designated area, any construction or development would require a permit. However, this did not work retroactively, leaving already developed or privately owned land as it was at the time of passing.[5]

Originally set to expire in three years, the Proposition 20 was made permanent with the California Coastal Act. The Coastal Act was a landmark law for environmental justice and the California Coastal Trail. It stated that "lands between the first public road and the sea; sale or transfer(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), no state land that is located between the first public road and the sea, with an existing or potential public accessway to or from the sea, or that the commission has formally designated as part of the California Coastal Trail, shall be transferred or sold by the state to any private entity unless the state retains a permanent property interest in the land adequate to provide public access to or along the sea."[6]

Federal Millennium Legacy Trail (FMLT) designation in 1999. A Federal Millennium Legacy Trail designation is designed to "recognize, promote and stimulate the creation of trails.[7] The CCT was awarded and became a Federal Millennium Legacy Trail in 1999.[8]

California Legislators passed SB 908 in 2001 that required the conservancy and development of the California Coastal Trail. It requires the consultation of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the California Coastal Commission and coordination of their departments to cooperate with planning and to prepare available lands for the trail.[9]

June of 2003, a group of hikers, CTE '03, aimed to hike the 1200-mile coastline of California. They recorded their experience, recording sites that required significant inland detours or sites inaccessible due to private land or along dangerous highways. Of the 10, 9 of the hikers made it to Mexico. Of the 1200 miles of coastline, 700 had established trails, and 500 miles failed to meet the requirements established by Proposition 20 and the Coastal Act of 1976.[10]

Goal

A continuous, unbroken, braided trail for "hiking, bicycle, and equestrian" use, that stays near the shoreline (within sight/hearing/smell). These interconnecting trails and routes, across the entirety of the California Coastline, will be open for public use at all times for the protection of sensitive coastal ecosystems, the enjoyment of the public, and the benefit of coastal communities and businesses. [11]

The "braided trails," will be include hiking paths, improved multi-use trails for bicyclists and mobility challenged users and trails for light use around sensitive habitats. It will the accumulation of Rugged wilderness trails to paved paths.


Challanges

  • Boundaries: The California Coastal Trail, to be one continuous walking trail, crosses counties and districts. Thiis level of communication and cooperation is a challenge, as each county or district may have different rules and policies that must be met.
  • Private land: The California coastal act of 1976 could not act retroactively, claiming land owned by private individuals or organizations. This land must now be bought, or an agreement is made with the owners to keep the CCT within the range determined by the law.
  • Climate Change: ...
  • ...

Links

References

  1. California Coastal Trail https://californiacoastaltrail.org/
  2. SCC Coastal Trail https://scc.ca.gov/projects/california-coastal-trail/
  3. CCT Whole Trail https://californiacoastaltrail.org/hikers-resources/whole-trail-hikers/
  4. CCT Hikers Resources https://californiacoastaltrail.org/hikers-resources/about-cct/
  5. Prop. 20 https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_20,_Creation_of_the_California_Coastal_Commission_(1972)
  6. Coastal Act 1776 https://www.coastal.ca.gov/coastact.pdf
  7. Millennium Trails https://clintonwhitehouse2.archives.gov/Initiatives/Millennium/trails.html
  8. FMLT 1999 designation https://coastwalk.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/cct/SIGNAGE%20GUIDELINES%20FINAL%20copy.pdf
  9. SB 908http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/01-02/bill/sen/sb_0901-0950/sb_908_bill_20011003_chaptered.html
  10. CTE ‘03 Hikers https://www.kcet.org/shows/california-coastal-trail/a-brief-history-of-the-california-coastal-trail
  11. CCT Trails https://coastwalk.org/california-coastal-trail-2/

Disclaimer

This page may contain student 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.