North Coast
Photo: Bureau of Land Management
The California North Coast region extends from windswept beaches in Del Norte County at the Oregon border, southward some 370 miles through Humboldt, Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, to the spectacular Marin headlands overlooking San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The world’s tallest trees, the California coast’s largest river, and the longest undammed river in the State are all found in the north coast. Timber, agriculture and commercial fishing traditionally shaped the economy, but tourism has become increasingly important, as the region’s stunning natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities draw visitors from around the world. Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, the Lost Coast, Redwood National and State Parks, coastal paths in Mendocino and uncrowded beaches along the North and South Spits of Humboldt Bay are just a few of the North Coast highlights to be explored in California’s least-populated coastal region.
The five-county north coast region – including Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin Counties – is one of the least populated in California, with just under one million residents. American Indian tribes have made their home within this region for thousands of years and maintain a strong presence. Small cities straddle the two transportation corridors (Highway 1 along the coast and Highway 101 inland) and include Crescent City, Eureka, Ukiah, Fort Bragg, and Santa Rosa. Family farms, dairies, vineyards and rolling grasslands with grazing sheep and cattle characterize this area.
North Coast Project Priorities
The Conservancy’s North Coast Program recognizes the importance of this region, and supports projects in the area to preserve open space and working lands, protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat, provide new and improved opportunities for public access, and revitalize harbors and waterfronts. Major focus areas include:
- Protect Working Landscapes
- Protect, Restore and Enhance Fish and Wildlife Habitat
- Support Restoration of Waterfronts
- Complete the Coastal Trail
North Coast News
- Press Release: State Coastal Conservancy Awards $10.8 Million for Wildfire Resilience in this Fire Season(Oakland, CA) – Today, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy authorized funding totaling over $10.8 for 33 projects throughout the coast of California to increase the resilience of coastal forests and open space to wildfires. “These projects will help prepare coastal habitats for catastrophic wildfires by creating fire breaks, clearing debris, removing hazardous trees […] (Read more on Press Release: State...)
- Press Release: Coastal Conservancy Awards $38 million for Coastal Preservation, Restoration, and Public AccessToday, the Board of the California State Coastal Conservancy approved nearly $38 million in grants for coastal restoration, preservation, and public access including $13.4 million for construction, monitoring and modeling of Phase 2 South Bay Salt Pond (SBSP) Restoration Project actions at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in Alameda County and $10 million to the County of San […] (Read more on Press Release: Coastal...)
- Press Release: First California Coastal Trail Map Will Help Complete the 1,230-Mile-Long TrailStaff Report: https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2021/5/W6d/W6d-5-2021-report.pdf Map: https://the-california-coastal-trail-1-coastalcomm.hub.arcgis.com/ Contact: Noaki Schwartz at Noaki.Schwartz@coastal.ca.gov and Taylor Samuelson at Taylor.Samuelson@scc.ca.gov SAN FRANCISCO _ The Coastal Commission and Coastal Conservancy released a digital map that for the first time shows the existing sections of the California Coastal Trail, a three-year project that will be critical to completing the rest of […] (Read more on Press Release: First...)
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