​For almost a century, the automobile has been much more than a mere mode of transportation, but rather an extension of its owner's personality with its style and panache.  The auto makers sought to capitalize on America's thirst for style and power in providing sleek and faster cars which pandered to the public's desire to have their car reflect their own self image.  Ever changing designs, brighter colors and engine size contributed to the symbolic nature of the automobile for its owner.

​As an extension of the goal of making your car an extension of your personality or self-image is the specialty license plate.  Usually connected to a charity or state agency, the specialty license plate provides the quintessential "win win" dynamic in that the vehicle owner can both help a legitimately good cause and own a license plate make a social statement to those who see it, or maybe just look cool with its colors and design.

​In California, a new specialty plate has been approved which boldly touches all of those bases.  It is the Endless Summer specialty license plate, which incorporates the theme from Bruce Brown's iconic Endless Summer movie from the 1960's.  The exquisite design of the plate, with its bright yellow background and setting sun, evokes imagery of California's pristine beaches, beautiful sunny days and sport of surfing and embraces the California state of mind.  Because funds from the sale of this specialty license plate help fund California's Coastal Conservancy, which promotes and protects the public's access to California's beaches, anyone who purchases the plate not only gets to display the beautiful and radiant plate on their car, but also promotes the many goals of that wonderful state agency.

The legacy of Endless Summer is that it is more than a movie of youth, oceans and the pursuit of the perfect wave.  It is symbolic of an optimistic state of mind reflecting sunny days, summer breezes and beautiful vistas.  You can help preserve California's coast and project a sunny and optimistic statement for your car or motorcycle.    For more information as to how you can register for the presale, click here.

The proposed Endless Summer license plate has been awaiting final visibility testing by CHP for over 3 months.
California Code of Regulations, 13 CACode of Regs, 160.04, requires:
(4) The design must meet the following standards after testing by the Department of California Highway Patrol (CHP):
(A) The registration number must be clear and legible to a person with 20/20 vision in daylight from a distance of 75 feet, and in darkness with low-beam headlamps from 75 feet; and
(B) The registration number must be able to be accurately perceived by Automated License Plate Reader technology in use in California from a distance of 35 feet at daytime, dusk and nighttime.

The California State Coastal Conservancy announced more than $39 million in funding for projects to improve public access, climate resilience, habitat values, and inclusion at the coast.

“The Coastal Conservancy’s vision is of a beautiful, restored, and accessible coast for current and future Californians. To achieve this, we fund projects that support the coast’s natural resources, projects that prepare the coast for the challenges of a changing climate, and projects that help more people enjoy the coast.” said Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the Coastal Conservancy.

Among the awards were several projects that will expand the Californians’ ability to access and enjoy the coast:

$1,104,736 was awarded to eight non-profit organizations for Coastal Stories projects that will create storytelling installations, murals, or interpretive materials that represent diverse communities’ perspectives that historically have been excluded from narratives of California’s coast and publicly accessible lands. This is the second round of funding through the Conservancy’s Coastal Stories grant program.
 
The Big Sur Land Trust was awarded $2,750,000 to acquire the 84-acre Hiss Parcelin the City of Monterey for natural resource conservation, California Native American tribal cultural resource conservation, habitat connectivity, California Native American tribal access, and public access.
 
Orange County Coastkeeper was awarded $250,000 for the Beach and Coast Accessibility Program to provide grants to nonprofits, public entities, and tribes for beach wheelchairs and other equipment to increase accessibility to California’s beaches and coast in coastal counties statewide.

Sustainable Conservation was awarded $270,300 to augment the Conservancy’s existing grant of $620,000 to advance adoption of, and conduct outreach to facilitate the use of, programmatic permits for aquatic habitat restoration and water quality improvement projects.

Defenders of Wildlife and Sea Otter Savvy were awarded $174,400 to implement two separate projects to aid in the recovery of the southern sea otter.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION on the awarded projects CLICK HERE.

​Coastal Conservancy has announced the availability of grants to public agencies, federally recognized tribes and California Native American communities, and nonprofit organizations for programs that facilitate and enhance the public’s opportunities to explore California’s spectacular coast and San Francisco Bay shoreline through Coastal Conservancy's Explore the Coast Grant Program.

Applicants may request a grant amount of up to $100,000. Approximately $800,000 is available for this grant round. Approximately $134,000 of the $800,000 is available for participants to go to the San Francisco Bay shoreline. The remaining $666,000 must be used to bring participants to the outer coast.

​The application deadline is January 31, 2024 by 11.59pm. Applicants should apply for projects that aim to start in late 2024 or early 2025 and aim to be completed by December 2027. The Conservancy will base the size of the award on each project’s needs, its overall benefits, and the extent of competing demands for funds.

More information on the RFP and how to apply can be found here. 

​The purpose of the Strategic Plan is to provide an overall vision for our agency and quantified objectives to measure the effectiveness of our work. The Strategic Plan articulates our view of the future of the California coast and its watersheds over the next five years—including the opportunities to improve resilience to climate change and to promote environmental equity and justice.

The Coastal Conservancy has been guided by a five year Strategic Plan for the past twenty years. The current plan was adopted in November 2017 and set goals and objectives for 2018- 2022. It is now time for the Conservancy to adopt a new Strategic Plan for the five year period of 2023-2027.
The Strategic Plan update creates an opportunity for the Conservancy to hear from our partners – nonprofit organizations, tribes, local governments, community groups, state and federal agencies, private landowners, conservation organizations, other conservation funders, and the public – about their vision and priorities for our work.
The plan can be found here.  SCC welcomes your comments on this draft between now (August 15, 2022) and October 1, 2022.  Please use the form here to submit comments.  Comments can also be emailed to StrategicPlan@scc.ca.gov.

• Draft 2023-2027 Strategic Plan
• Form to submit comments on the draft plan

The Conservancy hosted a webinar on March 28, 2022 to kick off the strategic planning process.  The webinar discussed the process of developing the plan for 2023-2027, the Conservancy’s role, and the resources that may be available to us in the next five years.
The recording of the webinar can be found here.
The Conservancy held several listening sessions and Focus Groups in April, May, and June to get input from partners on specific topics or focal areas.  Over 1,000 individuals participated in these sessions.  A report on this process and the key themes that emerged can be found here. ​

​California beaches had excellent water quality in summer 2021, according to the thirty-second annual Beach Report Card that environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay released today. Heal the Bay assigned “A-to-F” letter grades for 500 California beaches in the 2021-2022 report, based on levels of fecal-indicator bacterial pollution in the ocean measured by County health agencies. In addition, the group ranked water quality at 35 freshwater recreation areas in Los Angeles County for summer 2021 and shared findings from the third annual River Report Card.

The good news is 94% of the California beaches assessed by Heal the Bay received an A or B grade during summer 2021, which is on par with the five-year average.
Even so, Heal the Bay scientists remain deeply concerned about ocean water quality. Polluted waters pose a significant health risk to millions of people in California. People who come in contact with water with a C grade or lower are at a greater risk of contracting illnesses such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections, and rashes. Beaches and rivers usually have high-risk water quality following a rain event. Less rain typically means that reduced amounts of pollutants, including bacteria, are flushed through storm drains and rivers into the ocean. Last year, rainfall across coastal counties in California was 24 percent lower than the historical average. Only 66% of California beaches had good or excellent grades during wet weather, which was a little above average, but still very concerning.
“A day at the beach and the river shouldn’t make anyone sick,” said Tracy Quinn, President and CEO of Heal the Bay. “It is wonderful news that most beaches in California have good water quality for swimming. But there are areas with poor water quality that need improvement and infrastructure upgrades. We can’t forget that our marine ecosystems are still threatened by the climate crisis and other pollution sources, and we need solutions to address these pressing issues as well. We expect people to increasingly seek out ocean shorelines and freshwater swimming holes to cool off as temperatures rise, so safe, clean, and healthy water is needed now more than ever.”
Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card and River Report Card provide access to the latest water quality information and are a critical part of our science-based advocacy work in support of strong environmental policies that protect public health.

The full report can be downloaded here.

You did your part for Earth Day by picking up trash at a beach cleanup and now you’re done, right? Not so fast.
Cash Daniels wants you to do a bit more. The 12-year-old from Chattanooga, Tenn., has personally organized cleanups and removed thousands of pounds of garbage over the last five years from a stretch of the Tennessee River near his home. The Tennessee is one of the most microplastics-polluted rivers in the world. “I’m making a difference on the environment,” he said in a recent phone call. “I don’t like seeing plastic lying around anywhere.”
His efforts have led to partnerships with nonprofit organizations such as Tennessee Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful. Daniels, a finalist for Time magazine’s Kid of the Year 2022, also co-founded a group called the Cleanup Kids to motivate others to follow his example. Now he’s challenging young people around the world (or anyone, really) to collectively pick up 1 million pounds of litter in 2022. How will he measure their progress? Through trash-tracking apps like Litterati, which encourages people to pick up trash and share photos online to create a global cleanup community.

How much trash is there in the U.S.? Keep America Beautiful’s 2020 National Litter Study estimates there are 50 billion pieces of litter or “152 pieces of litter for every U.S. resident.” That means if each person picked up their share, the country could be litter-free. Start by joining the 24th Great American Cleanup, which is underway now through June 22. It’s hosted by Keep America Beautiful, which started in 1953 when litter was mostly found alongside America’s highways. The organization offers free cleanup kits to help you get started.
Other things to do: In Southern California, join year-round cleanup groups and turn out for these events:

Other things to do: In Southern California, join year-round cleanup groups and turn out for these events:

• Friends of the L.A. River hosts a Great L.A. River Cleanup every weekend in June and July (except the Fourth of July).
• The Bolsa Chica Convervancy holds wetland cleanups from 9 to noon the second Sunday and last Saturday of the month in Huntington Beach.
• Events at the Los Cerritos Wetlands near Long Beach combine pulling non-native weeds with trash cleanup on May 7, June 4, July 2 and other dates.

Story by BY MARY FORGIONE CLICK HERE FOR MORE

California’s sea otters need your help, and there’s an easy way to do it by making a voluntary contribution on line 410 of your state income tax return (Form 540).
By contributing any amount over one dollar, Californians can support the California Sea Otter Fund. Donations are tax deductible on next year’s return.
“The voluntary contributions Californians make at tax time are incredibly helpful in efforts to save the cherished California Sea Otters,” said Sam Schuchat, executive officer of the State Coastal Conservancy. “The money raised through tax donations helps pay for essential research and recovery efforts to assure the conservation and survival of this extraordinary resident of our central coast.”
Created in 2006, the Sea Otter tax check off provides essential funding to help state scientists better understand and trace the causes of sea otter mortality, identify factors limiting population growth, and collaborate with other organizations to prevent the pollution of California’s nearshore ocean environment.
According to the most recent survey, there are fewer than 3,000 sea otters in California waters. This small population is vulnerable to oil spills, environmental pollution, predation by sharks, and other threats. Many sea otter deaths have been linked to pollution flowing from land to the sea, including road and agricultural run-off, parasites, and chemicals from coastal land uses. The California sea otter is a Fully Protected Species under the state law and is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

​The California Sea Otter Fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from California taxpayers. The fund has become especially vital during the current economic downturn because other sources of support for sea otter conservation and research have decreased or disappeared entirely. There are no other dedicated state funding sources available to continue this important work.

​The Coastal Conservancy works with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and many others to improve the health of California sea otters. For more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Tax-Donation

​Ms. Hutzel previously served as the Conservancy’s Deputy Executive Officer and has been with the agency for over twenty years, during which she has been instrumental in many key projects including the restoration of thousands of acres of former salt ponds in the San Francisco Bay, the creation of the Conservancy’s flagship Explore the Coast and Explore the Coast Overnight grant programs to expand coastal access, and establishing the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. She also led the development and implementation of many of the Conservancy’s equity-focused initiatives: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Guidelines, the ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, the Beach Wheelchair Grant Program, and the updated Coastal Access Project Standards.

​“The State Coastal Conservancy has had a remarkable impact on the California coast in the last 4 decades.” said Ms. Hutzel, “I am honored to take on this role at a time when our work is so essential. Together with the incredible Conservancy staff, I will work to accelerate projects that work with nature to adapt to climate change impacts and increase equitable access to the coast for all Californians.”
“The Coastal Conservancy plays a vital role in achieving the State’s goals for biodiversity, climate resilience, and equitable access to California’s natural wonders. Amy has proven herself as an exceptional leader at the Coastal Conservancy already and I could not be more excited for her to take the reins at this key agency.” said California’s Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot
Each year, the State Coastal Conservancy issues tens of millions of dollars in grants to non-profit organizations, public agencies, and tribes for projects that restore and protect the California coast, increase public access to it, and increase communities’ resilience to climate change. In addition to its annual appropriations from Natural Resource Bonds, on September 23, 2021, Governor Newsom signed a budget bill that includes a total of $500 million for coastal resilience to be appropriated to the Conservancy in Fiscal Years 2022-23 and 2023-24. The Executive Officer and staff of the Conservancy also manage the work of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, which allocates approximately $25 million each year for restoration projects on the San Francisco Bay shoreline.
“We’re thrilled for Amy to serve as the Executive Officer at the Conservancy,” said Doug Bosco, Chair of the State Coastal Conservancy’s Board, “The Board and I know Amy as a dedicated and collaborative leader with an exceptional track record of delivering complex projects. She will bring her energy and enthusiasm to this role, and a clear vision for what this agency can achieve.”
Ms. Hutzel has been with the State Coastal Conservancy for over 20 years, serving as Deputy Executive Officer, Bay Area Program Manager, and Project Manager. Prior to joining the Conservancy, she worked at Save The Bay and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

​As Executive Officer, she will work closely with the Boards of the Conservancy and the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, lead the Conservancy’s 70 members of staff, and support hundreds of climate adaptation, public access, and habitat protection and restoration projects throughout the California coast, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in coastal watersheds. Amy lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco.

The next Coastal Conservancy Public Meeting is on February 03, 2022. Due to the ongoing State of Emergency and pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act and Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-1-22, this Conservancy meeting will be conducted by internet and teleconference, with no public physical location. Members of the public may join by internet with Zoom or dial into the teleconference.
One of the items on the agenda is consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $5,000,000 to the City of Anaheim to prepare preliminary plans, designs, permit applications, and environmental documentation for the OC River Walk, a project to improve and enhance a portion of the Santa Ana River in the County of Orange, including reconfiguring and vegetating the river bank and creating new trail connections.

A Southern California beach that had been closed since an undersea pipeline leaked crude into ocean waters last week is set to reopen Monday, officials announced Sunday night.
City and state beaches in Huntington Beach will reopen after water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil associated toxins in the ocean water, the city of Huntington Beach and California State Parks said in a news release. They are still urging visitors to avoid areas that smell of oil and not to touch any oiled materials that wash ashore.
That news will likely please surfers and beach-goers like Richard Beach, who returned to the waves in Huntington Beach with his bodyboard — until lifeguards jet skis chased him out on Sunday. He trekked back across the beach, passing workers in hazmat suits tasked with clearing the sand of sticky, black blobs that washed ashore after the spill.

“The water’s perfect,” said Beach, 69. “Clear all the way to the bottom.”
Huntington Beach and nearby coastal communities have been reeling from last week’s spill that officials said sent at least about 25,000 gallons (95,000 liters) and no more than 132,000 gallons (500,000 liters) of oil into the ocean. It was caused by a leak about 5 miles (8 kilometers) off the coast in a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that shuttles crude from offshore oil platforms to the coast.
The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2, a day after residents reported a petroleum smell in the area. The cause is under investigation and officials said they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ship’s anchor several months to a year before it ruptured. It remains unknown when the slender, 13-inch (33-centimeter) crack in the pipeline began leaking oil.
On Sunday, there was no smell of oil and the sand looked largely clear by the Huntington Beach pier, where workers combed the sand for tar. But local officials worry about the environmental impact of the spill on wetlands, wildlife and the economy. With the ocean off limits in the community dubbed Surf City USA, relatively few people were at the beach and shops that cater to them have been hurting.
Officials in the city of 200,000 people have been testing the water to ensure it’s safe for people to get back in and said they’ll continue the testing for at least two more weeks.
Since the spill, residents have been allowed to walk on the sand in Huntington Beach but not on the shoreline or enter the water, and parking was blocked off for nearby state beaches. Popular surfing and swimming spots in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach have also been closed.

In Huntington Beach, shops selling everything from bikinis and stars-and-stripes boogie boards to sand toys and fishing gear have been taking a hit. Marian Johnson, who owns “Let’s Go Fishing” on the pier, said sales have been halved since the spill.
Mike Ali, who owns the nearby shop Zack’s, said since the water closure he had to shut three of his four locations and slash his workers’ hours. People are coming in for bike rentals and food to his one store that remains open, but without surf lessons, event catering and beach bonfires, business has tanked 90%, he said.
“It could be a year to two years to get the tourism to come back,” Ali said, adding that a 1990 oil spill wound up diverting would-be visitors to beaches south and north of the city.
Rich Toro, 70, still took his regular 25-mile (40 kilometers) bike ride down to Huntington Beach on Sunday. But he said he wouldn’t race to get back into the water in light of the spill and worries about the impact on wildlife. Since the incident, officials have reported 38 dead birds and nine dead fish, while 27 oiled birds have been recovered and are being treated.
On Sunday morning, only a handful of people played beach volleyball in Huntington Beach while a few others did exercises or laid on the sand.
But the water closures didn’t deter everyone. While fishing is barred along the shore of virtually all of Orange County, Michael Archouletta, 29, said he came down from East Los Angeles and saw no signs on the pier preventing him from dropping a line. A school of fish swam beneath the pier nearby.
“If this was so dangerous, the fish would be dead,” Archouletta said.

Story published by AP - click here for full article

Dana Point homes surround the Pacific Ocean like an amphitheater. It’s no wonder much about the town’s character and its economy focuses on the ocean and the marine life that migrates past its doorstep for months on end each year.
A year ago it was trademarked the Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World and now it has been designated the first Whale Heritage Site in North America by the United Kingdom-based World Cetacean Alliance.
The designation, in which the group partnered with U.S.-based World Animal Protection nonprofit, recognizes the seaside town as a spot where cetaceans – the scientific name for whale, dolphins and porpoise – are embraced in the local culture, economics, politics and social fabric of the community and where people and cetaceans coexist respectfully.
“This designation distinguishes Dana Point as a beacon for tourists to select this as a sustainable travel destination,” said Ben Williamson, programs director for World Animal Protection.
“I think this adds credibility,” he said. “It includes serious community involvement, economic importance and a look at the way whales impact the area’s heritage.”
The designation was created in 2015.  Two other sites, Hervey Bay in Australia and The Bluff in South Africa, both won certification in October 2019.  Tenerife, Spain, will become the first Whale Heritage Site in Europe.
“When they explained the criteria, I said we’re the perfect location,” said Gisele Anderson, who with her husband, Dave Anderson, operates Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari out of the harbor. “We have history, education, saving of animals. We’re really excited because now Dana Point has set the bar.”
And Dana Point’s Festival of Whales is the world’s first and longest-running whale festival, it is scheduled this year for March 6/7, 2021
Hundreds of thousands of people every year make their way to the annual two-weekend-long event started by the “father of whale-watching,” Don Hansen, who with Philip Grignon, a high school teacher, opened the first whale and dolphin watching charter in a small trailer when the city’s harbor opened in 1971. It was a way to teach students about the migrating gray whales. Hansen is Kalez’s father.
Since its early days, the festival has included whale lectures and information on the town’s history with whales – both of which continue to be part of the event that celebrates its 50th anniversary in March.

Anderson had worked with Donna Kalez, who operates Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, to get the city its new trademark and then when approached by the World Cetacean Alliance after that success they partnered to earn it the Whale Heritage Site designation that was officially announced Wednesday, Jan. 27. They had been notified Jan. 7.
“I’m so proud of myself and Gisele for getting this done,” Kalez said. “It finally brings us the recognition we’ve been trying to get for so long.”
Despite Dana Point’s breathtaking coastline, the selection is not based on geography or its visual splendor, organizers said.
“You could be in the best place in the world, but if you’re not acting responsibly or sustainably, you wouldn’t fit the criteria,” said Ben Williamson, programs director for World Animal Protection.
Still, the Headlands, a towering cliff outcropping overlooking the Pacific Ocean, has been identified by experts as a navigational point for gray whales charting their course from the Bering Sea in Alaska to the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico, where they mate and give birth. A platform at the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center allows people on land to get glimpses of the passing behemoths and pods of hundreds and thousands of leaping dolphins.

​Bryon Ward, president of Burnham-Ward Properties, which is building the $440 million renovation for the 66-year lease with Newport Beach-based Dana Point Harbor Partners, which is presently underway with the renovation project that includes reconstruction of the commercial core and the east and west marinas, two new hotels and fully rebuilt docks, said marine education is a key pillar in the harbor’s history and future. The company is consulting with marine biologists and artists to create additional educational exhibits and whale-related public art installations, he said.
“With this designation, we know that even more visitors will depart on their whale watching adventures from Dana Point Harbor,” Ward said. “As we further revitalize the harbor,  we will instill the importance of education, conservation and viewing whales in their natural habitat.”

​The behemoth mammals are so much a part of Dana Point’s everyday life that Anderson and Kalez have created charts for their boat captains to document when special animals make another appearance.
There is Patches, a bottlenose dolphin colored in pink, white and black blotches that has been dubbed the “West Coast’s most famed dolphin.”  The animal is so popular that his sightings typically spark celebration and curiosity.
“I was out by myself three months ago with a group of bottlenose dolphins,” Anderson said. “I saw Patches and it feels like an old friend. It’s joyful because you know the animal is still doing well. It’s a sign of hope and a reminder that our environment is not as bad as we’ve been told.”
But, Patches is not the only famous animal. There’s also Casper, an albino dolphin. There are humpbacks known as Twitch, Flicka and Chalkboard.  Notcho, Delta, Curley, Hook and Kink are among the recognized blue whales– the largest animals that have ever existed and there is Scarback, a gray whale. Each animal is significant and has a story and connection to the waters around Dana Point.
Both charter companies provide naturalists aboard to educate the passengers on animal conservation. They also do their best to help with education and collaborate with the nearby Ocean Institute, also located in the Dana Point Harbor. Both are certified by the cetacean alliance as a responsible whale watch charter meaning they operate at the highest standards for the animals and their passengers.

​For Barbara Johannes, president of the Dana Point Historical Society, the Whale Heritage Site distinction brings more responsibility. Dana Point is named for Richard Henry Dana, Jr.,  who detailed his experiences and those of other sailors in 1834 in his book, “Two Years Before the Mast.”
“It is our inherent responsibility to promote a safe cetacean habitat along our coast for the benefit of present and future generations,” she said. “I think Richard Henry Dana Jr. would be pleased.”