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SACRAMENTO – This week, State Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Assemblymembers Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay), and Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), along with dozens of bipartisan coauthors, introduced a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, the landmark 1976 law that made California a global leader in coastal resource management.
The resolution – Senate Concurrent Resolution 136 and Assembly Concurrent Resolution 149 – honors five decades of stewardship that have kept California’s 1,100 miles of shoreline clean, healthy, and — most importantly — open to the public. It also underscores the Coastal Act’s continued importance in protecting the coast’s ecological and economic vitality from emerging threats, including the federal government’s extreme offshore drilling agenda.
Since its passage, the Coastal Act has served as a cornerstone of California environmental law, balancing economic activity with preservation of the state’s most iconic natural resource. By affirming California’s tidelands as public trust lands and public coastal access as a fundamental right, the law ensures the state’s beaches remain open and accessible to all, regardless of background or income.
“The California Coastal Act has been the foundation of environmental protection in our state for 50 years, safeguarding our beaches, bluffs, surf breaks, and coastal communities,” said Laird. “Today, as threats from offshore drilling and short‑term industry interests loom, the Coastal Act remains our strongest defense. This resolution celebrates a landmark law that protects billions in coastal tourism, hundreds of thousands of jobs, vital ocean wildlife, and the very heart of California’s way of life.”
“For 50 years, the Coastal Act has stood as a promise to future generations — that our coastline belongs to everyone. It protects public access, preserves our natural beauty, and safeguards the environmental treasures that define our state,” said Hart, a former member of the California Coastal Commission. “As we face new threats from President Trump’s dangerous decision to expand offshore oil drilling, the Coastal Act remains one of California’s strongest environmental laws that ensures we can put our values into action.”
Civic leaders across California voiced strong support for the Coastal Act and the resolution:
“The Coastal Act is the linchpin of equity and environmental justice along the California coast,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director of Azul. “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Coastal Act, we are reminded that protecting our coast has always been about protecting people. The Coastal Act has been essential to breaking down barriers of public access to the outdoors based on race and class and ensuring the joy of healthy coastal and ocean spaces are available to all people, including Latinos. For us, the California coast is home, livelihood, culture, and our future. Azul is proud to celebrate the Coastal Act and will fight to ensure the law stays strong for future generations of California ocean lovers.”
“For 50 years, the Coastal Act has been California’s most powerful tool for protecting the beaches and ocean access that define our state,” said Chad Nelson, CEO, Surfrider Foundation. “As we face unprecedented challenges from sea level rise and climate change, this anniversary reminds us that we must preserve and strengthen the Coastal Act—it’s not just our heritage, it’s essential to our future.”
“As we celebrate the Coastal Act’s 50 years of protecting the environment and public access, we know that access to the coast only matters if people feel safe, welcomed, and connected to the ocean,” said Bella Bonner, founder and Executive Director of Black Surf Santa Cruz. “At Black Surf Santa Cruz, we see every day what’s possible when Black and historically excluded communities have real pathways to the ocean. This anniversary is both a celebration and a call to action to make sure the next 50 years further expands who gets to experience care, joy, and connection in the water.”
“We’re thrilled to celebrate 50 years of the Coastal Act and the benefits it has delivered to protect California’s 1,100-mile coastline, supporting millions of birds along the Pacific Flyway,” said Andrea Jones, Vice President of Audubon California. “Californians know our iconic coastline is more than a stunning view. Our coast supports vital habitat for sensitive shorebird species like the Western Snowy Plover, helps ensure coastal communities and visitors alike can access and enjoy nature, and supports healthy coastal ecosystems that can buffer shoreline communities from the impacts of climate change.”
“For nearly 30 years, Outdoor Outreach has worked to connect youth to the transformative power of the outdoors,” said Ben McCue, Executive Director of Outdoor Outreach. “From the sense of wonder inspired by a tidepool’s vibrant ecosystem to the thrill of catching a wave with friends, we’ve seen countless times how powerfully healing and uplifting it is for kids to access and enjoy the California Coast. We’re proud to join with Senator Laird to celebrate the Coastal Act, the legal foundation that keeps our shores clean and accessible for all.”
Highlights of the California Coastal Act’s 50 years of impact:
- Created more than 2,500 public accessways along the coast
- Protected 12,000 acres of open space and habitat
- Restored more than 4,600 acres of habitat
- Opened 875 miles of the California Coastal Trail to the public
- Provided $30 million to local governments to plan for sea level rise
- Awarded $25.5 million in grants to 1,074 tribes, schools, and nonprofits for outdoor education, stewardship, and access projects
- Helped sustain California’s $44 billion coast and ocean economy, which depends on clean water and accessible beaches, bluffs, and surf breaks
As California looks to the next 50 years of coastal stewardship, the resolution stands as both a celebration of the state’s defense and democratization of the coast and a call to confront the serious environmental threats of today and tomorrow.
