California Coastal Commission
A powerful state agency in California with authority over coastal development. Its strict regulations are discussed as a potential major obstacle for homeowners trying to rebuild after the LA Wildfires.
entitydetail.created_at
8/20/2025, 3:38:30 AM
entitydetail.last_updated
8/20/2025, 4:50:11 AM
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8/20/2025, 3:39:31 AM
Summary
The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency responsible for protecting, conserving, restoring, and enhancing California's 1,100-mile coastline. It holds quasi-judicial authority over land and public access along the coast, regulating land use within a defined coastal zone to control construction, including buildings, housing, roads, and erosion abatement structures, and can issue fines for unapproved construction. The CCC's mission, as outlined in the California Coastal Act, encompasses the protection of shoreline public access and recreation, visitor accommodations, terrestrial and marine habitats, visual resources, and the regulation of agricultural lands, commercial fisheries, and industrial infrastructure. Due to its oversight of significant environmental assets and valuable real estate, the CCC is considered the most powerful land-use authority in the United States. While environmentalists credit the commission with preserving open space, views, habitats, and public coastal access, property rights activists and real estate developers argue that the CCC has overstepped its mission, infringed upon property rights, and exacerbated California's housing shortage by limiting housing supply. In a discussion on the All-In Podcast, the California Coastal Commission was mentioned in the context of "lawfare" against innovators, with hosts citing the commission for blocking SpaceX launches, which they characterized as a politically motivated action against Elon Musk.
Referenced in 2 Documents
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Mission
To protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of the California coastline
Established
1972-01-01
Legal Basis
California Coastal Act of 1976
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Jurisdiction
California's 1,100-mile (1,800 km) coastline
Parent Agency
California Natural Resources Agency
Authority Type
Quasi-judicial land-use authority
Established by
Voter initiative (Proposition 20)
Coastal Zone Extent
Inland from 3,000 ft (910 m) up to 5 mi (8.0 km)
Federal Designation
Coastal management agency under federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)
Number of Employees
125
Key Responsibilities
Protection of shoreline public access and recreation, visitor accommodations, terrestrial and marine habitats, visual resources, regulation of agricultural lands, commercial fisheries, and industrial infrastructure
Timeline
- Established by voter initiative via Proposition 20. (Source: Wikidata, Web Search)
1972-01-01
- Made permanent by the Legislature through the adoption of the California Coastal Act. (Source: Web Search)
1976-08-24
- Approved by the Federal Government as the primary state agency to review federal projects and activities affecting coastal zone resources. (Source: Web Search)
1977-01-01
- Justin Cummings took over as Chair of the agency's 15-member board. (Source: Web Search)
2023-12-31
Web Search Results
- California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency within the California Natural Resources Agency with quasi-judicial control of land and public access along the state's 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of coastline. Its mission as defined in the California Coastal Act is "to protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of the California coastline". [...] The California Coastal Commission 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. Sea Ranch's developer-architect, Al Boeke, envisioned a community that would preserve the area's natural beauty.( But the plan for Sea Ranch eventually grew to encompass 10 miles (16 km) of the Sonoma County coastline that would have been reserved for private [...] 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.( The commission's responsibilities are described in the California Coastal Act, especially
- Our Mission - California Coastal Commission
Along with the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), and the California Coastal Conservancy, the Coastal Commission is one of California's three designated coastal management agencies for the purpose of administering the federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) in California. Under California's federally-approved Coastal Management Program, the California Coastal Commission manages development along the California coast except for San Francisco Bay, where the San Francisco Bay [...] # Overview The California Coastal Commission was established by voter initiative in 1972 (Proposition 20) and later made permanent by the Legislature through adoption of the California Coastal Act of 1976. [...] # California Coastal Commission ca-coastal-commission # Our Mission # Protecting & Enhancing California's Coast ## The Commission is committed to protecting and enhancing Californiaâs coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination. Get to Know the CCC Get to Know the CCC (Spanish)
- California Coastal Commission
## Here here... # Our Mission Protecting & Enhancing California's Coast ## The Commission is committed to protecting and enhancing Californiaâs coast and ocean for present and future generations. It does so through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education, and effective intergovernmental coordination. Learn More Gov. Gavin Newsom ### California Governor ### Gavin Newsom [...] Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the April 2020 Coastal Commission meeting is cancelled. We understand this may be an inconvenience and burden and we truly regret the disruption. For the May Commission meeting, we are currently working to develop the structure and procedures for a remote or âvirtualâ meeting in order to assure the health and safety of the public, commissioners and staff. Unfortunately, these new measures will not be in place in time for the April hearing. Thank you for your [...] All Commission offices are open weekdays (excluding listed state holidays) from 8am to 5pm, but public counter hours may be limited to appointment only. Please make an appointment with the appropriate Commission staff member before coming to one of our offices; this will ensure that the appropriate staff member will be available to address your concerns. In addition to appointments in our offices, Commission staff is available by phone, email, and regular mail (see staff contact information at
- Press & Media - California Coastal Commission
The past year brought major successes to the protection of Californiaâs coast and the legacy of the California Coastal Act, a visionary law signed by Governor Jerry Brown in his first term nearly 40 years ago. The Coastal Commission protected sensitive coastal and marine resources from Crescent City to San Diego, and defended the publicâs right to access and share in Californianâs amazing coastline, while approving most of the developments that it reviewed. Learn more [...] Newport Beach, Calif. â Santa Cruz County Supervisor Justin Cummings was elected on Wednesday to lead the California Coastal Commission as chair of the agencyâs 15-member board. He was appointed to the agency in 2023 as the locally elected representative for the Central Coast. Cummings, who received unanimous support from his fellow commissioners at a public hearing in Newport Beach, will take over the role from former Chair Caryl Hart at the end of the December meeting. Learn more [...] Every year the California Coastal Commission issues hundreds of Coastal Development Permits (CDPs) and processes dozens of amendments for Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) and other planning documents. The agency also enforces public access and natural resource protections, reviews federal projects and produces numerous reports and guidance memos. The full Key Metrics Report 2024 can be viewed here, or click here to view a summary.
- Permanent Responsibilities of the California Coastal ...
Federal Activities: Activities authorized, funded or carried out by the Federal Government that affect coastal zone resources must be reviewed by the Commission for consistency with the federally approved California Coastal Management Program, including the Coastal Act (PRC 30330, and 30400). As approved by the Federal Government in 1977, and with relatively minor exceptions, the Commission is the only State agency which can conduct this review of federal projects and activities. [...] Public Access:The implementation of a public coastal access program for the length of California’s coastline, including maintaining and updating an access inventory, keeping records of easements and dedications, and expediting the opening of new accessways for public use are continuing responsibilities of the Commission (PRC 30530–30534). Access Guide:The Commission has published and must periodically revise the popular Coastal Access Guide (Ch. 868, Stats, 1979). Enforcement: [...] Map of California with coastal counties shaded inProposition 20 (Coastal Initiative, 1972), the California Coastal Plan (1975), and the California Coastal Act (1976) all envisioned a permanent, state coastal management agency. After local coastal programs (LCPs) have been fully certified and local governments have assumed coastal permit issuing responsibilities, a variety of tasks must be carried out by the Commission on an ongoing basis. The following list includes the
Wikidata
View on WikidataCountry
Employees
125Located In
Instance Of
Headquarters
Inception Date
1/1/1972
DBPedia
View on DBPediaThe California Coastal Commission (CCC) is a state agency within the California Natural Resources Agency with quasi-judicial control of land and public access along the state's 1,100 miles (1,800 km) coastline. Its mission as defined in the California Coastal Act is "to protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of the California coastline". Protection of coastal resources includes shoreline public access and recreation, lower cost visitor accommodations, terrestrial and marine habitat protection, visual resources, and regulation of agricultural lands, commercial fisheries, and industrial infrastructure. By regulating land use within a defined coastal zone extending inland from 3,000 ft (910 m) up to 5 mi (8.0 km), it has the authority to control construction of any type, including buildings, housing, roads, as well as fire and erosion abatement structures, and can issue fines for unapproved construction. It has been called the single most powerful land-use authority in the United States due to its purview over vast environmental assets and extremely valuable real estate. Property rights activists and real estate developers say that the CCC has exceeded its mission, violated property rights of citizens, and worsened California's housing shortage by limiting housing supply. Environmentalists, on the other hand, say that the Commission has protected open space, views, habitats, and public coastal access.