History
The California Coastal Commission (CCC) was established in 1972 by voter initiative via Proposition 20. This was partially in response to the controversy surrounding the development of Sea Ranch, a planned coastal community in Sonoma County. Al Boeke, Sea Ranch's developer-architect, initially envisioned a community that would preserve the area's natural beauty. But the plan for Sea Ranch eventually grew to encompass 10 miles of the Sonoma County coastline that would have been reserved for private use. This and other similar coastal projects prompted opponents, wanting more public access along the coast, to form activist groups. Their efforts eventually led to putting Proposition 20 on the ballot.
Proposition 20 gave the Coastal Commission permit authority for four years. The California Coastal Act of 1976 extended the Coastal Commission's authority indefinitely. The agency is tasked with protection of coastal resources, including shoreline public access and recreation, lower cost visitor accommodations, terrestrial and marine habitat protection, visual resources, landform alteration, agricultural lands, commercial fisheries, industrial uses, water quality, offshore oil and gas development, transportation, development design, power plants, ports, and public works. For further explanation of the Commission's responsibilities, please see the California Coastal Act, especially the Chapter 3 policies (Sections 30200 - 30265.5).
The state authority controls construction along the state's 1,100 miles (1,770 km) of shoreline. The Commission is composed of 12 voting members, 6 chosen from the general public, and 6 appointed elected officials. The panelists are not paid salary nor stipend for their work, however being on the Commission can carry responsibilities which are highly politicized.
From 1980 to 2010, while inflation has increased 164 percent, the commission's total funding has risen only 21 percent, from $13.5 million to $16.3 million. The commission's full-time staff fell from 212 in 1980 to 125 in 2010. There are 11 enforcement officers to investigate violations along the 1,100-mile coastline.
Read more about this topic: California Coastal Commission
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)