Defend the State's Coastal Resilience Budget

The $452 million that is currently being proposed to be reverted from the State Coastal Conservancy and Ocean Protection Council via the proposed budget are prior commitments that were originally approved by the State Legislature because state leaders recognized an urgent need to address sea level rise and nature-based adaptation needs across our State, and because the Legislature rightly acknowledged that investments in preparedness are extremely cost effective. (FEMA 2018).  

If restored, the reverted funding will go towards making our coastal communities more resilient to the flood damage, erosion, and mobilization of toxic waste and wastewater contamination that is already dramatically affecting our shoreline due to sea level rise. Proactive coastal resilience projects protect people who live near and visit the coast from experiencing flooding; preserve our recreational resources, safeguard our public beaches and habitats, and help maintain public infrastructure like power plants, roads, sewage lines and wastewater treatment structures.

The Legislature should work to restore four types of funding. The first category that should be prioritized includes projects that center equity and justice priorities, so the State can uphold its strong commitments to its diverse communities through nature-based resilience and healing. The second category includes projects currently receiving federal matching dollars, so California is not leaving money on the table for cost-effective projects. The third project category includes those that are 'halfway through,' which will only get more expensive and difficult to complete as time goes on. By restoring this funding for California agencies, we can support projects that are equitable and provide multi-benefit, nature-based resilience along the coast.

If the last two years of atmospheric river events along our coastline have shown us anything, it's that failing to plan for a future of coastal storm surge and sea level rise is incredibly costly. Santa Cruz is still restoring parts of its shoreline that were impacted by the January 2023 atmospheric rivers and San Diego saw historic flooding in January that resulted in toxic flooding of low income communities. The other outcome of planning to fail rather than investing in coastal resilience is that public trust resources and habitats will be sacrificed. According to the United States Geological Survey, two thirds of Southern California beaches will disappear by 2100 if no action is taken to protect them. Sacrificing the unique habitats and recreational opportunities provided by our 1,100 miles of shoreline will negatively impact tribes that rely on coastal resources and access, and nearly half of the state's population that visits the beach every year to escape rising inland temperatures.

The Legislature’s restoration of appropriations for sea level rise planning and nature-based projects will not be wasted — upfront investments in coastal resilience will be cost-effective in mitigating ongoing disaster while providing additional benefits in equitable outdoor access and biodiversity conservation. We urge the Legislature to return accountability to the State by restoring the coastal resilience budget.

The cuts we specifically seek to be restored are:

Coastal Protection and Adaptation - A proposed $392 million cut from 2024-2025 across various coastal protection and adaptation programs administered by the State Coastal Conservancy. This affects the Conservancy's ability to support nature-based projects that benefit systematically excluded communities and tribes, improve coastal access for all Californians, and enhance habitats such as wetlands, beaches, dunes, bluffs, forests, watersheds and resilience projects.

Ocean Protection - A proposed $64.6 million cut to the Ocean Protection Program and Senate Bill 1 (Atkins) program from 2024-2025. This was established to support local and regional governments like the City of Santa Cruz to be able to plan for sea level rise.

Coastal Access- A proposed $75 million cut largely from the State Parks Outdoor Equity Grants Program. Additional proposed $6.7 million from Department of Parks and Recreation for sea level rise adaptation. DPR manages 128 coastal park unites representing about 25% of the coastline, and this money will leave these areas without resources for adaptation and opportunities to engage low-income and diverse communities with the beach.

We urge you to reach a budget agreement that honors the contribution of the California coastline to our State and look forward to working with you in the months ahead.