California Coastal Commission
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1972 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| Employees | 125 |
| Annual budget | $16,307,000 (FY2009-10) |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | www.coastal.ca.gov |
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone.
The California Coastal Commission's mission is "To protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of the California coastline". The Commission's current agenda can be found on their website.
The California Coastal Commission (CCC) was established in 1972 by voter initiative via Proposition 20. This was partially in response to the controversy surrounding the development of Sea Ranch, a planned coastal community in Sonoma County. Al Boeke, Sea Ranch's developer-architect, initially envisioned a community that would preserve the area's natural beauty. But the plan for Sea Ranch eventually grew to encompass 10 miles of the Sonoma County coastline that would have been reserved for private use. This and other similar coastal projects prompted opponents, wanting more public access along the coast, to form activist groups. Their efforts eventually led to putting Proposition 20 on the ballot.
Proposition 20 gave the Coastal Commission permit authority for four years. The California Coastal Act of 1976 extended the Coastal Commission's authority indefinitely. The agency is tasked with protection of coastal resources, including shoreline public access and recreation, lower cost visitor accommodations, terrestrial and marine habitat protection, visual resources, landform alteration, agricultural lands, commercial fisheries, industrial uses, water quality, offshore oil and gas development, transportation, development design, power plants, ports, and public works. For further explanation of the Commission's responsibilities, please see the California Coastal Act, especially the Chapter 3 policies (Sections 30200 - 30265.5).
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