Protect and Restore the Coast

The Conservancy works to ensure the coast is protected and restored for existing and future generations. This goal supports projects and activities that protect and enhance the coast’s scenic, natural, and agricultural resources. These natural and scenic resources of the coast are vital to the state’s economy and quality of life, as well as to the wildlife that depends upon them.

Conserve Land

The Conservancy will fund acquisition of land and conservation easements to protect resource lands, working lands, and public access properties. The Conservancy will also support conservation of resource lands identified in regionally led and scientifically based planning efforts to protect high quality resources. This objective will also include acquisition of lands to increase habitat connectivity or support inland migration of habitat with sea level rise.

Restore or Enhance Habitats

The Conservancy will support projects to restore or enhance habitats including subtidal habitats, wetlands, riparian areas, redwood forests, oak woodlands and other important wildlife habitats, including projects to protect and restore healthy sea otter populations. The Conservancy will support wildlife corridor projects and projects that reduce barriers to fish migration. The Conservancy will also support projects to restore coastal watersheds, including dam removal projects

• Sea Otter Recovery Grants: The California Sea Otter Fund was established in 2006 as an income tax check-off program allowing taxpayers to dedicate funds to facilitate sea otter recovery. The funds may be used for “research, science, protection projects or programs related to the Federal Sea Otter Recovery Plan or improving the nearshore ocean ecosystem, including, but not limited to, program activities to reduce sea otter mortality.” Each year, half of the available funds are appropriated to the Coastal Conservancy to undertake projects the advance the goals of the fund.

Working Lands

The Conservancy will support projects to protect working lands, including farmland, ranchland, and forests. This will include acquisitions and easement projects to ensure continued protection of agricultural and grazing lands. The Conservancy will support agricultural practices that improve carbon sequestration, minimize water use, and protect sensitive habitats. We will also support projects to increase water storage on working lands for food production and drought resilience. Finally, we will support working forest projects including habitat protection, carbon sequestration, and where possible, public access.

Cut Green Tape

The Conservancy will support projects that accelerate permitting and environmental review for habitat restoration, nature-based adaptation, wildfire resilience, public access, and other environmental projects. The Conservancy will support regulatory pre-application coordination and information exchange among regulatory agencies to share lessons learned and examples of success for streamlining permitting. We will also support the development and use of tools such as programmatic permits. The Conservancy will support plans and projects to assist applicants with regulatory processes, expedite regulatory agency approvals, and remove regulatory barriers to coastal conservation and public access.