Coastal Conservancy Public Meeting in San Luis Obispo – November 30

Meeting Notice

Douglas Bosco (Public Member), Chair

Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš (Public Member), Vice Chair

Joy Sterling (Public Member)

Jeremiah Hallisey (Public Member)

Wade Crowfoot, Secretary for Natural Resources; Bryan Cash and Jenn Eckerle (Designated)

Donne Brownsey, Coastal Commission Chair; Madeline Cavalieri (Designated)

Keely Bosler, Director, Department of Finance; Gayle Miller (Designated)

Senate Representatives

Benjamin Allen (District 26)

Josh Becker (District 13)

John Laird (District 17)

Assembly Representatives

Gregg Hart (District 37)

Christopher Ward (District 78)

Tina McKinnor (District 61)

Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer

Amy Roach, General Counsel

AGENDA

Agenda updated 11/22/2023 at 8:29 AM, Item 3F exhibit 3 has been updated to include an additional support letter.

Hybrid Meeting

DATE: November 30, 2023

TIME: 10:00 A.M

LOCATION: SLO City Council Chambers

990 Palm Street

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

*Live Spanish interpretation is provided during our Board Meetings on the Zoom teleconference.

*Se proporciona interpretación en español en vivo durante nuestras reuniones de la Junta en la teleconferencia de Zoom.

This meeting will be conducted in a hybrid virtual/in-person format. To maximize public safety while maintaining transparency, members of the public can choose to watch the webcast of the meeting or participate in the meeting via Zoom, by telephone, or in person at the location listed above. People attending in person will be required to adhere to the site’s health guidelines, which could include wearing masks, health screening, and social distancing.

Members of the public may watch an online webcast of the meeting or join the meeting by internet with Zoom or by telephone with the following steps:

Webcast (Watch Only): To watch the meeting and not provide verbal comments, please view the webcast at this site: https://cal-span.org.  If you do not wish to provide verbal comments, we strongly recommend watching the webcast as this will free up space on the webinar for those who are providing verbal comments. If you intend to make verbal comments, please do not view the webcast, and then switch over to the Zoom webinar or phone to comment, as the webcast will have a time delay and you may miss the opportunity to comment.

Zoom (To Make Comments): In addition to in-person participation, remote participation is available to members of the public via Zoom webinar. To participate via Zoom, you must register for the Zoom Webinar at this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V2yLHA8cRg2LTZxypGgbnw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Telephone (To Make Comments): Members of the public can offer verbal comments on agenda items by calling in via telephone. Zoom registration is required. Register for the Zoom Webinar at the link above and you will receive an email with a phone number to dial in by telephone. When the agenda item you want to speak on is being presented, press *9 to “raise your hand” and indicate your interest in making a comment. You will be called upon (using your phone number to identify you) and will be unmuted at the appropriate time.

More information on how to participate and comment verbally on an agenda item or during open public comment can be found here.

1. ROLL CALL

2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of the Conservancy’s September 14, 2023 public meeting.

3. CONSENT ITEMS

A. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $250,000 to CalWild for preparation of a community plan and conceptual project designs to ameliorate changes resulting from the potential decommissioning and removal of the Potter Valley Project hydroelectric facility in Lake and Mendocino counties.

B. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $485,000 to the City of Point Arena in Mendocino County to prepare the Arena Cove Harbor Access and Resilience Plan, which will include plans, designs, and environmental review for a variety of improvements to protect and enhance existing and future use of the Point Arena Pier, Harbor, and Cove for commercial and recreational purposes.

C. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,575,409, including $969,818 awarded to the Conservancy by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, to the Newport Bay Conservancy to restore 14.3 acres of coastal wetlands and associated uplands in Upper Newport Bay within the 60-acre Big Canyon Nature Park in the City of Newport Beach, Orange County.

D. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $446,400 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute for the Mapping Yelamu’s Historical Landscape project, consisting of conducting an ecological and ethnographic study of San Francisco in partnership with the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone and development of cultural and ecological landscape maps that can be used for interpretive programs and capital project planning.

E. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $270,300 to augment the Conservancy’s existing grant of $620,000 to Sustainable Conservation to advance adoption of, and conduct outreach to facilitate the use of, programmatic permits for aquatic habitat restoration and water quality improvement projects.

F. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $300,000 to the City of Encinitas for the Connected Coastlines Encinitas project, consisting of installing a 4G private mesh network to increase communications capabilities for fire and marine safety personnel across 3.5 miles of Encinitas coastline.

G. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $260,100 to the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods to construct a direct-to-consumer fish processing and sales facility, consisting of a filet station, restroom, and storefront, at the Crescent City Harbor in Del Norte County.

H. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,300,000 to augment the Conservancy’s existing grant of $2,300,000 to the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District for preparation of design, engineering, and other documentation needed for environmental review for a 1.5-mile Santa Ana River Trail segment that is adjacent to the Green River Golf Course and connects to the Orange County line in the County of Riverside.

I. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $325,000 to the City of San Diego to conduct a feasibility study for the repair of the beach access stairway and potential improvements to the scenic overlook and parking area located adjacent to 5990 West Camino De La Costa in the La Jolla neighborhood in the City of San Diego.

J. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $250,000 to Orange County Coastkeeper for the Beach and Coast Accessibility Program to provide grants to nonprofits, public entities, and tribes for beach wheelchairs and other equipment to increase accessibility to California’s beaches and coast in coastal counties statewide.

K. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $174,400 to Defenders of Wildlife and Sea Otter Savvy to implement two separate projects to aid in the recovery of the southern sea otter.

4. EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT

A. Legislative report

B. Annual Financial Report

C. Diablo Canyon Project

D. San Francisco Bay Sea Level Rise Coordination

CENTRAL COAST 

5. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,500,000 to the Cayucos Land Conservancy to acquire and transfer to San Luis Obispo County 748 acres of land for addition to Toro Creek County Park located between Morro Bay and Cayucos in San Luis Obispo County.

6. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $813,500 to the San Mateo Resource Conservation District to conduct community outreach and prepare technical studies, preliminary design plans, and environmental review and permit documents for the relocation of public sewer infrastructure away from an eroding coastal bluff in the Montara community of San Mateo County.

7. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $2,750,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust to acquire the 84-acre Hiss Parcel in the City of Monterey for natural resource conservation, California Native American tribal cultural resource conservation, habitat connectivity, California Native American tribal access, and public access.

SOUTH COAST

8. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $5,000,000 to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy for habitat restoration and conservation consisting of restoration of 342 acres through the removal of 325 acres of invasive plant species and planting of 17 acres of native butterfly habitat, creation of a native seed bank, and reconstruction of a butterfly rearing facility, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

9. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,072,000 to the City of San Diego to conduct community and tribal engagement and prepare engineering and design plans for nature-based solutions to sea level rise at three locations in the city of San Diego, in connection with preparing the City’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

10. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $2,268,100 to the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation to conduct outreach and prepare engineering designs and permit applications to relocate parking facilities to preserve public access to North Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego County.

NORTH COAST

11. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $693,700 to the County of Humboldt to develop a coastal resilience planning framework, conduct community and tribal engagement, complete a sea level rise and flood vulnerability assessment and an adaptation feasibility analysis, and prepare conceptual designs and preliminary engineering plans for sea level rise adaptation projects for the communities of King Salmon and Fields Landing in Humboldt County.

12. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $3,813,000 to the City of Willits to implement the Willits Rail with Trail Project, consisting of construction of a 1.6-mile trail between East Hill Road and East Commercial Street in the City of Willits, Mendocino County that will eventually become part of the Great Redwood Trail, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

13. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $725,000 to the Elk Valley Rancheria for the acquisition of the 9.19-acre Bush parcel on Crescent Beach, south of Crescent City, in Del Norte County, for preparation of a plan for that property for wildlife habitat enhancement and public access, and for removal of invasive species on the property.  The property will be acquired for protecting open space, protecting public and tribal access, protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat, and sea level rise adaptation measures, including measures to protect nearby roads and highways, consistent with open space and habitat protection.

14. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $2,250,000 to the Mattole Salmon Group to reconnect Lower Bear Creek to the middle slough of the Mattole River Estuary, in part by elevating road infrastructure, to address critical habitat needs for endangered salmonids and improve resilience to climate change and sea level rise in Humboldt County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

15. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,504,990 of Coastal Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife Service funds to the Marin County Open Space District to implement the Bolinas Lagoon Wye Resiliency Project, which will reduce localized flooding and increase resilience to sea level rise and which consists of restoring 20 acres of tidal and riparian wetlands and returning Lewis Gulch Creek to its historic floodplain by, in part, removing and elevating roads at the northern end of Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA 

16. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $7,800,000 to the Port of San Francisco for the Southern Embarcadero Resilience and Enhancement Project, consisting of developing plans and engineering designs to adapt shoreline infrastructure to sea level rise, improve public access amenities, and include green-gray infrastructure opportunities, for a 0.6-mile stretch of the southern Embarcadero waterfront in San Francisco.

17. Consideration and authorization to disburse up to $2,512,500 for the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to acquire approximately 57 acres of historic tidal marshland within the lower tidal reach of the Napa River in Napa County for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of natural and scenic resources, including wetlands and open space; and, to the extent compatible with the aforementioned purposes: public access, passive recreation, and California Native American tribal cultural uses.

STATEWIDE

18. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,104,736 to eight non-profit organizations for Coastal Stories projects that will create storytelling installations, murals, or interpretive materials that represent diverse communities’ perspectives that historically have been excluded from narratives of California’s coast and publicly accessible lands.

Please note: If a closed session is needed, the Conservancy will reconvene in person and on the webcast and zoom webinar to make any reports required by Section 11125.2 of the Government Code.

19. CONSERVANCY MEMBER COMMENTS

20. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

21. CLOSED SESSION

A. To confer regarding Pappas, et al. v. State Coastal Conservancy, et al., Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Case No. 1417388. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

B. To confer regarding Grassroots Coalition, et al. v. California State Coastal Conservancy, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21STCP02237. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

C. To confer regarding Ballona Wetlands Land Trust v. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, et al. (Environmental Science Associates, Real Party in Interest), Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 22STCP03307. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

D. To confer regarding City of Trinidad v. Tsurai Ancestral Society, et al., Humboldt County Superior Court Case No. DR180684. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

22. ADJOURNMENT

CONSERVANCY TOUR INFORMATION

On Wednesday, November 29, the Conservancy will tour the sites listed below, as close as possible to the identified times, which might be affected by traffic. Members of the public are welcome to join the tour but must provide their own transportation. The tour will conclude at 4:30pm.

1:15-1:45 – Meet at Del Mar Park in Morro Bay. Update on Toro Creek County Park Project (related to Item 5 on this agenda) and Morro Bay to Cayucos Coastal Trail

1:45-2:00 drive to Chorro Creek (near this point)

2:00-2:15 – Overview of Chorro Creek Coastal Resilience project

2:15-2:45 pm travel to Pt. Buchon trail head (bathroom available)

3:00-4:30  Hike Point Buchon trail to see portion of North Ranch of Diablo Canyon Lands. In order to hike the trail, everyone must sign-in with PG&E. During the hike there will be presentations on Diablo Canyon Lands Vision and Conservancy involvement.

Note: Agenda items may be taken out of sequence at the discretion of the Conservancy. At any time during the meeting, but prior to the adjournment of the open session of the meeting, the Conservancy may recess or adjourn to closed session to consider personnel matters, prices and terms of real estate transactions, and possible and pending litigation. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to attorney-client privilege and statutory authorization under Government Code Sections 11126(a), (c) (7), and (e).

Any person who has a disability and requires reasonable accommodation to participate in this public meeting should contact Taylor Samuelson no later than five days prior to meeting.

Questions about the meeting or agenda can be directed to Taylor Samuelson at

(510) 286-4182 or Taylor.Samuelson@scc.ca.gov or at the Conservancy:

1515 Clay Street, 10th Floor

Oakland, CA 94612