Defend the Coastal Act in the State Legislature in 2024

Surfrider opposed four bills in the State Legislature that proposed to change the California Coastal Act this year. These bills were SB 951 (Weiner), SB 1077 (Blakesepear), SB 1092 (Blakespear) and AB 2560 (Alvarez). All four bills were amended to remove development exemptions from he Coastal Act, which marked a victory for Surfrider's 2024 Defend the Coastal Act Campaign. 

The Coastal Act is the state’s bedrock coastal access and protection law. We support effective policies for affordable housing in the Coastal Zone but do not support undermining the Coastal Act. We maintain that affordable housing opportunities should not be seen as mutually exclusive from coastal resource and access protections - a diversity of Californians should be able to access and live along our coastline; and we should be able to maintain the shoreline's sensitive ecosystems and healthy beaches.

Surfrider therefore strongly supports reinforcement of the Coastal Act with policies that proactively address inequities — for instance policies that empower the Coastal Commission to require, or local governments to provide, a certain percentage of affordable housing in the Coastal Zone. You can read more specifically about our work on SB 951, SB 1077, SB 1092 and AB 2560 this year here.