About Us
Our Mission
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.
Click here for information in languages other than English.
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. The Conservancy implements statewide resource plans through its projects, including the California Water Action Plan, the Wildlife Action Plan, and many others. The Conservancy works along the entire length of California’s coast and within the watersheds of rivers and streams that extend inland from the coast. The Coastal Conservancy also works throughout the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area and the entire Santa Ana River watershed. A map of the Conservancy’s jurisdiction is posted here.
The Conservancy provides technical assistance and grant funding to local communities, nonprofit organizations, other government agencies, businesses, and private landowners to implement multi-benefit projects that:
- protect the natural and scenic beauty of the coast
- enhance wildlife habitat
- help the public to get to and enjoy beaches and parklands
- keep farmland and timberlands in production
- improve water quality
- revitalize working waterfronts
- prepare communities for the impacts of climate change
The Conservancy has played a critical role in shaping California’s coastal landscape as we know it today. Since its creation, the Conservancy has built hundreds of miles of trails and preserved hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, coastal farmland, and scenic open space. Many of the most-loved scenic, natural, and recreational resources of the California coast and the San Francisco Bay Area have been protected by the work of the Conservancy and its many partners.
Conservancy Staff – All staff can be reached at 510-286-1015 (though most staff are working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic)
Enabling Legislation – California Public Resources Code, Division 21
Accomplishments – Serving those interested in enjoying, improving, and protecting the natural resources of our coast
Strategic Plan – We develop a Strategic Plan that identifies specific goals to guide the Conservancy’s work
Project Selection Criteria – The Conservancy Board has adopted criteria to guide funding decisions
Coastal Access Project Standards – The Conservancy Board has adopted standards for prioritizing and managing coastal access projects
Regional & Statewide Plans – Plans and policies that implement priorities and are consistent with Coastal Conservancy objectives
Financial Reports – Annual financial reports on past year expenditures and agency funding
FAQ – What is the Coastal Conservancy? What does the Coastal Conservancy do?
Ofrecemos los siguientes recursos en español:
Criterios de selección para proyectos en Español – La Junta de Coastal Conservancy ha adoptado criterios para guiar las decisiones de financiación
Estándares de proyectos con Acceso a la Costa en Español – La Junta de Costal Conservancy ha adoptado normas para la priorización y gestión de proyectos de acceso costero
Haga clic aquí para el sitio web con recursos y documentos en español
Latest News
- Request for Partnership Proposals/Letters of Interest for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program FY 2025NOTE: This is a call-for preproposals for projects who would like to partner with the California State Coastal Conservancy to apply for US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant (NCWCG) Program funding. This is NOT the official NCWCG call for applications. Projects hoping to receive NCWCG funding are NOT required to apply […] (Read more on Request for Partnership...)
- Job Posting: Contracts & Procurement Analyst (Staff Services Analyst)THIS IS A REPOST. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY APPLIED FOR THIS JOB VACANCY, YOUR APPLICATION IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESUBMIT AN APPLICATION. “Love the California Coast, the environment, and working with contracts and grant agreements? This might be the job for you!” The State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) Contracts & Procurement Unit is […] (Read more on Job Posting: Contracts...)
- Coastal Conservancy Awards Grants for Coastal Access, Restoration, and Climate Resilience2/15/2024 – Today, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy authorized a number of grants to restore, protect, and expand access to the California coast. Grants approved included: A grant of an amount not to exceed $35,000,000 to The Nature Conservancy to complete permitting and implement the first phase of the Ormond Beach Restoration Public Access […] (Read more on Coastal Conservancy Awards...)