Protect it or lose it
CURRENT CHALLENGES
The current budget shortfall has created problems for all State agencies but it has hit the Coastal Commission particularly hard. The Commission has been cronically underfunded and with the additional cuts finds itself in the position of having to determine which of it's necessary programs to curtail and/or eliminate. Staff is short handed and overworked, leading to difficulties in providing the kind of service the public expects. Mandated regulatory decisions cannot be given the time nor scrutiny they deserve. It is hard to determine the long term impacts of this, but they cannot be good for the coast.
It is obvious Vote the Coast has a real challenge to over come. We need to send more coastal champions to Sacramento or coastal protection will be overwhelmed by a sea of special interests.
The future of the California Coast is in your hands. You can make the difference. Please support Vote the Coast by joining and working with us for the future of your coast. Learn how, JOIN US and become a member of Vote the Coast.
The Coastal Commission is under attack at every level for attempting to protect the coast. Political pressure has made it difficult to provide the kind of strong coastal protection the public expects.
The Commission's budget has been slashed repeatedly over the years and is now in danger of totally collapsing, preventing the Commission from carrying out its mandate. While inflation has increased by 160% since the Commission's early days, its budget has increased by only 6%. The Governor's budget proposes an additional cut of 10% which would mean the loss of an additional 17 positions.
Term limits have made it more difficult for us to be able to count on coastal-friendly appointments unless we can strengthen our voice in Sacramento.
Major development plans are in the works for many parts of the coast.
Water issues, including the transport of water from Northern California rivers and it's impact on those rivers, privitization of water supplies and desalinization with its environmental and growth inducing impacts, are of growing concern.
Every year, new legislation is proposed to weaken the Coastal Act, California's Environmental Quality Act and Endangered Species Act.
Offshore oil and gas development still threatens the coast.
Siting of LNG facilities and their impacts to coastal resources are a growing concern
Pressure for development of the coast has intensified and with it comes the destruction of precious natural resourses.