Accomplishments

The Coastal Conservancy serves all Californians and visitors to the State who are interested in enjoying, improving, and protecting the spectacular natural resources of the California coast and San Francisco Bay Area.

Since its establishment in 1976, the Coastal Conservancy has:

• completed more than 1,600 projects in every coastal county and all nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, with hundreds more projects currently active. These projects include construction of trails and other public access facilities, restoration and enhancement of wetlands and other wildlife habitat, protection of near-shore ocean waters, restoration of public piers and urban waterfronts, preservation of farmland, and other projects in line with the goals of California’s Coastal Act, the San Francisco Bay Plan, the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy, and the California Ocean Protection Act;
• helped conserve more than 500 properties containing more than 400,000 acres of wetlands, dunes, wildlife habitat, recreational lands, farmland, and scenic open space;
• helped build several hundreds of miles of accessways and trails, including major portions of the California Coastal Trail, the Santa Ana River Parkway Trail, and the San Francisco Bay and Bay Area Ridge Trails;
• assisted in the completion of more than 100 urban waterfront projects, enabling local communities to reclaim waterfront properties for recreational use and economic development;
• retired hundreds of lots in inappropriately planned subdivisions throughout the coast, thereby preserving natural and scenic lands, protecting farmland, and providing recreational opportunities;
• joined in partnership endeavors with more than 100 local conservation organizations, making local community involvement an integral part of the Coastal Conservancy’s work.