California's coastal ecosystems are on the front lines of climate change. With rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the erosion of vital habitats, the state’s shores and water resources face unprecedented challenges.
In a heartening response, on November 5, voters passed Proposition 4, a landmark $10 billion climate and clean water bond designed to address California’s most urgent threats while we still can. This measure represents a much-needed investment in the future of California's coastline by strengthening the natural defenses that protect both the environment and local communities.
What is Proposition 4?
Proposition 4 is a state-level measure that directs significant funding toward climate resilience projects along California's coast, including restoration and protection of coastal habitats such as wetlands, dunes, and estuaries, which are vital for buffering communities from sea-level rise and storms. Funding from Prop 4 will also ensure clean water, create parks and green space, prevent wildfires, and build clean energy infrastructure. It also includes a $50 million investment towards much needed wastewater infrastructure improvement projects at the US-Mexico border to help relieve the public health and environmental justice crisis facing families that live in the Tijuana River Watershed.
The Role of Proposition 4 in Protecting Coastal Ecosystems
Proposition 4 funds habitat restoration, emphasizing natural defenses like dunes, kelp forests, and wetlands to combat sea-level rise and storms. These habitats are critical for marine life and serve to protect coastal communities. The funding provided by Proposition 4 will expand and maintain these areas as barriers against rising waters and address coastal erosion by promoting living shorelines over seawalls, offering a sustainable, cost-effective approach to climate resilience.
Eligible projects include:
- Restoration of beaches, coastal wetlands, dunes, subtidal and riparian areas, natural infrastructure projects to address coastal flood resilience, and enhanced access to coastal recreation areas - $415,000,000
- Living shorelines and sea level rise adaptation projects that emphasize nature-based solutions over traditionally engineered gray infrastructure - $350,000,000
- Protection and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems, including estuarine habitat, kelp forests, eelgrass meadows, and native oyster beds, or maintenance of the state’s system of marine protected areas -$135,000,000
- Sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plans implementation focused on coastal state parks and recreation areas - $125,000,000
- Advancing climate ready fisheries, including kelp ecosystem restoration - $75,000,000
Climate Resilience and Conservation: Why It Matters
California’s coast is home to a vast array of ecosystems that support marine life and biodiversity. Healthy coastal ecosystems are essential for the creatures that call them home and for the state’s economy, which depends on tourism, fisheries, and coastal recreation. Proposition 4 is a vital step toward preserving both California's economic and ecological values by ensuring the protection of coastal resources.
