Coastal Act turns 50: How a law shaped California's coastal identity

"The coast is never saved it's always being saved. That quote from longtime California Coastal Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas is cited often when people speak of the state's ongoing effort to find just the right balance between development and public access to the shore."

"During those first five decades, the Coastal Act and the California Coastal Commission formed to navigate the line in the sand between overdevelopment and public access and maintaining natural landscapes have largely kept massive high rises off the shoreline, negotiated large-scale projects to include public access and, in some cases, turned down proposals that would compromise sensitive habitats or public recreation."

"We have this powerful law and we find ways to improve and protect our resources, which includes views, access, a beautiful restorative place people can enjoy. I think that one of the most beautiful gifts we've given to the state is the Coastal Act. It has withstood the test of time."

California's Coastal Act, signed into law in 1976 and co-authored by Peter Douglas, marks 50 years of protecting the state's 1,200-mile coastline, the third largest in the United States. The law and the California Coastal Commission have prevented massive high-rises from dominating the shoreline, negotiated public access into large-scale projects, and rejected proposals threatening sensitive habitats or recreation areas. The Act emerged from 1960s environmental concerns, including high-rise development in Long Beach, contamination in San Francisco Bay, and the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. Current Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge describes the Coastal Act as a powerful gift to California that has withstood the test of time while continuously evolving to protect resources, views, access, and natural beauty.

Read at www.ocregister.com