Coastal Conservancy Public Meeting in Oakland – November 20
Meeting Notice
Coastal Stories section was added to the EO Report after mailing.
11/17/25 Agenda item 6 corrected to reflect the right dollar amount or 980,000.
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)
Meagan Harmon Coastal Commission Chair; Madeline Cavalieri (Designated)
Joe Stephenshaw, Director, Department of Finance; Michele Perrault (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
Ryan Berghoff, Senior Staff Counsel
AGENDA
Hybrid Meeting
DATE: November 20, 2025
TIME: 10:00 A.M
LOCATION: Elihu M Harris State Building Room 2 – 2nd Floor
1515 Clay St., Room 2, Oakland CA 94612
*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.
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.
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_O-4DsUttQrmjajqKt4OBvg
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
A. Vote on Remote Participation (as needed)
2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of the Conservancy’s September 18, 2025, public meeting.
3. CONSENT ITEMS
A. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $236,400 to The Hill Street Country Club to undertake the Hill Street Arts Hotel Feasibility Study, consisting of conducting community engagement and completing a feasibility study to establish a new lower-cost hotel in Oceanside, San Diego County.
B. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $450,000 to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt to prepare the Murray Field Airport Sea Level Rise Planning and Economic Study and to conduct community engagement to assess the impacts of and identify adaptation strategies for sea level rise at the Murray Field Airport in Eureka, Humboldt County.
C. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $181,400 to Friends of the Eel River to undertake the Eel River Native Plant Network Project in anticipation of dam removal in the upper Eel River basin, consisting of: (1) launching a regional native plant network to assess, coordinate, and increase the regional capacity to produce native plants for Eel River watershed restoration projects beginning with Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties; (2) developing a feasibility report and a strategic plan; (3) hosting meetings and seed harvesting trainings; and (4) developing and launching a website.
D. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $445,000 to The Nature Conservancy to undertake the San Francisco Bay Olympia Oyster Public Education Initiative, consisting of targeted public education and outreach on the history and benefits of the native Olympia oyster to build public support for increasing the pace and scale of implementing nature-based approaches to shoreline protection while recovering Olympia oysters in San Francisco Bay.
E. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $71,400 to Sea Otter Savvy to educate the public on the historic role of sea otters and the potential future role of sea otter reintroduction within their historical habitat range in northern California and San Francisco Bay.
F. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $431,500 to Friends of the Dunes to acquire 6.52 acres of property adjacent to the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center at 150 Stamps Lane for public access, including potential low-cost overnight accommodations, and for habitat protection, restoration and enhancement; and to develop a habitat restoration and public access plan for the property in Manila, Humboldt County.
4. EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT
D. Coastal Stories
CENTRAL COAST
5. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $3,050,000 to Sempervirens Fund to undertake the Big Basin Redwood Wildfire Resilience Project, consisting of vegetation fuels reduction and habitat enhancement on 215 acres in the old-growth coast redwood area of Big Basin Redwood State Park in Santa Cruz County, and project-related community engagement; and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
6. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $980,000 of grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County to acquire the 62 acre Watsonville Slough Mini Ranch property located within the Middle Watsonville Slough wetlands complex in Santa Cruz County to protect and restore natural resources and wildlife habitat, including wetlands; protect and enhance water quality; conserve sensitive species and wildlife corridors; and provide compatible agricultural use and California Native American tribal access and public access.
NORTH COAST
7. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $565,000 to the Mendocino Land Trust to undertake the Arena Cove Coastal Trail Construction Project, consisting of construction of a 0.3-mile segment of the California Coastal Trail and related trail amenities at Arena Cove in Point Arena, Mendocino County.
8. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $800,750 to Sanctuary Forest, Inc. to: (1) acquire the 255-acre Ta’che—Nóó-nih Yaash Property to protect, restore, and enhance native species, habitats and waterways; protect cultural landscapes, features and attributes; and provide opportunities for compatible California Native American tribal access and potential limited public access in Whitethorn, Humboldt County; (2) remove cannabis infrastructure; (3) transfer the property to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council; and (4) conduct initial stewardship planning for the property.
WILDFIRE RESILIENCE
9. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $6,353,000 to two tribes, one university, and one local fire safe council to carry out implementation projects that will improve forest health and wildfire resiliency in Mendocino County, San Diego County, and Monterey County.
10. Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $1,665,000 of grant funds from the California Department of Conservation’s Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program to five public agencies to carry out planning and implementation projects that will improve forest health and wildfire resiliency, facilitate greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and increase carbon sequestration in forests in Alameda County, Santa Clara County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County.
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.
11. CONSERVANCY MEMBER COMMENTS
12. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Addendum: Public Comment
Addendum: Public Comment
13. 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 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).
14. ADJOURNMENT
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