50 Year History of the Coastal Conservancy

Timeline: California State Coastal Conservancy, 1976 – Present

1976: Coastal Conservancy Act Passes

  • Established by the California State Legislature through the Coastal Conservancy Act (Public Resources Code, Division 21), the Conservancy was created as a non-regulatory state agency within the Natural Resources Agency. A core tenet from the start was to ensure public access to the coast, recognizing the public’s right to enjoy California’s shoreline. The Conservancy was designed to acquire land and develop facilities for public use. The Conservancy was established in the same year the Coastal Act, which established the Coastal Commission, was passed. Both agencies were born from a citizen-led movement to protect the California coast and public access to it.

Late 1970s – Early 1980s: Laying the Groundwork

  • Early efforts included acquiring critical coastal lands for public access and open space, and initiating small-scale habitat restoration projects. This work involved acquiring key parcels of land to create new public beaches, coastal parks, and trail easements that were previously blocked by private development. The Conservancy began developing strategies for urban waterfront revitalization, recognizing the need to reconnect cities with their coastlines and the framework for a statewide coastal trail system.

1980s: Expanding Access, Influence & Major Acquisitions

  • The Conservancy played a key role in numerous significant land acquisitions, securing thousands of acres of sensitive habitat and public access opportunities, often preventing large-scale development. We initiated work on major wetland restoration, recognizing the importance of these ecosystems.  During this time, the Conservancy also focused on funding and facilitating public access projects, often working with local governments and non-profits to develop stairways, boardwalks, parking areas, and visitor amenities at numerous beach access points along the California coast, opening up previously inaccessible areas.

 Early 1990s: Focus on Large-Scale Restoration & Trails

  • Our focus increased on larger, more complex restoration projects as we adopted a watershed-based approach, recognizing that coastal health depends on the health of upstream systems. The concept of a continuous California Coastal Trail (CCT) gained significant momentum with the Conservancy as a lead agency. We began funding strategic land acquisitions and projects specifically for CCT segments.

Mid-1990s: Focusing on Urban Waterfronts & Community Connection

  • The Conservancy increased efforts in urban waterfront revitalization, transforming former industrial or derelict areas into public promenades, parks, and trails. This brought coastal access directly to city residents, often those in underserved communities.
  • In 1997, SB104 established the San Francisco Bay Conservancy Program within the Coastal Conservancy, authorizing the Conservancy to work in the 9 county Bay Area on projects that protect, restore, and improve access to natural resources. The Conservancy became a leading partner in the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project in Marin County, transforming a former U.S. Army Airfield into tidal wetlands and managed ponds – a critical project for Bay ecosystem health and flood control.

Early 2000s: Prioritizing Climate Change, Equitable Public Access & Major CCT Progress

  • Anticipating the impacts of sea-level rise and increased coastal erosion, climate change adaptation strategies were formally incorporated into our project planning and funding. The Conservancy also began explicitly prioritizing equitable access to the coast, recognizing that not all communities have had equal opportunity to enjoy coastal resources. Projects increasingly focused on underserved communities, developing access close to transit, and ensuring accessibility for people of all abilities. The CCT became a central programmatic focus, with significant funding allocated to close gaps, build new segments, and improve existing ones.

2002: South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project Begins

  • The Conservancy became a key partner in initiating the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the largest tidal wetland restoration on the West Coast. This ambitious project aims to restore 15,100 acres of former industrial salt ponds in the South San Francisco Bay into a mix of tidal marsh and managed ponds, with profound benefits for habitat, flood protection, and recreation.

2010s: Innovations in Climate Resilience

  • In 2012, SB1066 added language to the Conservancy’s enabling legislation to authorize us to address the impacts and potential impacts of climate change on the coast.  The Conservancy became a leader in piloting and funding nature-based solutions for coastal protection and habitat enhancement. We also spearheaded efforts to beneficially reuse dredge material to create or enhance wetlands and other habitats.  We began integrating climate change considerations into project planning, aiming to fund projects that will be resilient to sea-level rise and other climate stressors.

Mid-2010s – Present: Deepening Equity Commitments & A Broadening Scope

  • We further intensified our commitment to equitable and inclusive access, actively seeking out and supporting projects in systemically exclude communities. This includes the creation of our Explore the Coast program, which funds coastal experiences for communities that face barriers to access. Through the development of our Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) guidelines, we identified ways to prioritize equity across our work and in the administration of our agency.  New Conservancy programs that are helping to advance equitable outcomes include Explore the Coast Overnight that aims to increase the supply of lower cost overnight accommodation at the coast, and Coastal Stories, which funds storytelling installations that represent communities and voices that have been historically excluded in the narratives of California’s coast and publicly accessible lands.
  • The Conservancy’s scope expanded to encompass wildfire. The new Wildfire Resilience program supports local partners to develop and implement projects that improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic fire along the coast, coastal watersheds, and the San Francisco Bay.
  • The Conservancy was also tasked with helping to establish and support the newly formed Great Redwood Trail Agency, which is responsible for delivering the Great Redwood Trail, a 307-mile, world-class, multi-use rail-to-trail project connecting California’s San Francisco and Humboldt Bays.

 

The Future

Looking forward, the Coastal Conservancy will play a vital role in sustaining and enhancing a resilient, accessible, and biodiverse California coast and San Francisco Bay for all generations.  Our vision is of a beautiful, restored, and accessible coast for current and future Californians. We act with others to protect and restore, and increase public access to, California’s coast, ocean, coastal watersheds and the San Francisco Bay Area.