Agencies: their roles and interrelations
Navigating the layers of federal, state, and local agencies can be complex, especially in understanding their roles and interrelations.
The California Coastal Management Program, endorsed by NOAA in 1978, is managed by three main state agencies:
The California Coastal Commission is responsible for overseeing development along the California coastline, excluding the San Francisco Bay area.
In the San Francisco Bay area, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is in charge of managing development.
The California Coastal Conservancy focuses on acquiring, protecting, restoring, and enhancing coastal resources, as well as improving public access to the coast.
The guiding legislation for the California Coastal Management Program includes the California Coastal Act, the McAteer-Petris Act, and the Suisan Marsh Preservation Act.
The jurisdiction of the California coastal zone typically extends up to 1,000 yards inland from the mean high tide line. For the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, their coastal zone encompasses the open water, marshes, and mudflats of the greater San Francisco Bay, plus an area extending 100 feet inland from the highest tidal action line.
Agencies and Boards you should become familiar with:
- State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission,
- State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection,
- State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards,
- State Air Resources Board and air pollution control districts and air quality management districts,
- Department of Fish and Wildlife,
- Department of Parks and Recreation,
- California Geological Survey and the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation,
- State Lands Commission.
The Natural Resources Agency shall periodically, with respect to the agencies and boards listed above and any other state agency, submit recommendations designed to encourage the state agency to carry out its functions. The recommendations may include proposed changes in administrative regulations, rules, and statutes.
