Coastal Conservancy Awards Nearly $18 Million for Coastal Restoration, Preservation and Public Access

Board approves funding for land acquisitions, accessways, wharf repairs

 

Oakland, CA – Today, the Board of the California State Coastal Conservancy awarded $17.9 million to 18 projects to protect and restore the California coast and San Francisco Bay, and increase public access to these natural resources.

 

Among these grants was $5 million to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority to acquire the 235-acre Sobrato South property for protection of open space and wildlife habitat in the Coyote Valley of San Jose.  The Board also authorized nearly $3 million to the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District for construction of a multiuse trail segment as part of the Hamner Avenue Bridge construction project in the City of Norco, and nearly $2 million to the City of Capitola to renovate and expand the Capitola wharf.  Over $250,000 was awarded to the Environmental Health Coalition to fund the Barrio Logan Climate Resiliency Community project, a planning project consisting of preparation of two plans that address climate change impacts and bolster adaptation planning efforts in Barrio Logan, a severely disadvantaged community in San Diego.

 

The projects approved at the June Board meeting were:

 

NORTH COAST

  1. A grant of up to $640,000 to California Trout, Inc. to restore fish passage and enhance habitat on Cochran Creek, a tributary to Fay Slough on Humboldt Bay, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  2. A grant of up to $500,000 to the Sonoma County Regional Parks to acquire approximately 515 acres in the Dutch Bill Creekwatershed, a tributary to the Russian River, to protect open space, habitat, natural floodplain and water quality, and to provide an opportunity to develop a future regional parkway with recreational trails.
  3. A grant of up to $196,123 to California Trout, Inc. to conduct studies and prepare engineering designs for the Sulphur Creek Fish Passage Improvement Projectto remove a fish passage barrier on Sulphur Creek, in St Helena, Napa County.
  4. A grant of up to $96,000 to the County of Del Norte to assess the feasibility of expanding camping opportunities and develop a park improvement plan for Clifford Kamph Memorial Park, the northern gateway to the California Coastal Trail, in Del Norte County.
  5. A grant of up to $94,371 to the Moat Creek Managing Agency to design, permit, and construct accessibility improvements at the Moat Creek Beach public accesswayand to maintain the accessway for three years, at Moat Creek in Mendocino County.
  6. A grant of up to $150,000 to the City of Crescent City to construct a new section of the California Coastal Trailconnecting the Crescent City Harbor with Crescent City’s Beachfront Park in Del Norte County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

 

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

  1. A grant of up to $5,000,000 to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority to acquire the approximately 235-acre Sobrato South property for protection of open space, natural floodplain, wildlife habitat, biological resources, and agriculture; natural resource restoration; and compatible public access, as part of a larger Coyote Valley open space acquisitioneffort in the City of San Jose in Santa Clara County.
  2. A grant of up to $83,000 to the City of San José to prepare a plan and environmental review documents for a 1.4 mile segment of the Five Wounds Trail, which is part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, within Santa Clara County.
  3. A grant of up to $800,000 to the California Invasive Plant Council to implement the planning, management, treatment, monitoring, and restoration activities of the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project.

 

CENTRAL COAST

  1. A grant of up to $1,900,000 to the City of Capitola to renovate and expand the Capitola Wharfin Santa Cruz County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  2. A grant of up to $1 million of funds granted to the Conservancy by the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District to prepare a habitat restoration and enhancement  plan, environmental impact analyses, and permit applications for the restoration and enhancement of floodplain habitat on the Carmel River at the Rancho Cañada unitof the Palo Corona Regional Park in Monterey County.
  3. A grant of up to $100,000 to the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County to plan, design, conduct environmental analyses, and prepare grant and permit applications to remove a fish passage barrier on Cachagua Creekby replacing a concrete ford with a bridge at the Weston-Champagne Property.

 

SOUTH COAST

  1. A grant of up to $2,965,000 to the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District for construction of a segment of trail and two access ramps for the Santa Ana River Trail as part of the Hamner Avenue Bridgeconstruction project in the City of Norco in Riverside County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  2. A grant of up to $544,000 to the City of Santa Ana for final design and restoration of the Santa Ana River Parkway Triangle Parkalong the Santa Ana River Trail in the City of Santa Ana, Orange County.
  3. A grant of up to $254,530 to the Environmental Health Coalition for a project that increases climate resiliency in the Barrio Logan community by developing a proposed Barrio Logan Community Plan Update and preparing a preliminary plan for the Boston Linear Park in San Diego, CA.
  4. A grant of up to $500,000 to the City of Imperial Beach to prepare a Sediment Management Work Plan and Monitoring Program for the Tijuana River Valleyin San Diego County.
  5. A grant of up to $250,000 to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to augment a previously authorized Conservancy grant of $250,000 to prepare a restoration plan and conduct environmental review for the Nelson Sloan Quarry Restoration Projectin the Tijuana River Valley region of San Diego County.
  6. A grant of up to $2,900,000, provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation, to augment the Conservancy grant of $2,000,000 authorized on February 6, 2020, to the Crystal Cove Conservancy to restore 17 historic cottages on North Beach of the Crystal Cove Historic Districtat Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County.

 

 

Notes to Editors:

The Coastal Conservancy is a state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people get to and enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. The Conservancy is a non-regulatory agency that supports projects to protect coastal resources and increase opportunities for the public to enjoy the coast.

 

Since its founding, the Conservancy has:

  • Funded 2,400 projects along the California coastline and in the San Francisco Bay.
  • Protected 390,000 acres of coastal lands through acquisition of fee title and conservation easements.
  • Restored 33,000 acres of habitat.
  • Built 200 new coastal accessway and 210 miles of new trails.
  • Put $1.3 billion to work for conservation projects, and leveraged far more from federal, local government, and private sources.

 

Latest News

Email List Icon Image Sign up and Stay Informed!
SCC/OPC Project Viewer Photo of sea otter in the ocean Help Save Sea Otters at Tax Time