We continue to participate in the public process to update Marin County’s Local Coastal Program Environmental Hazard Amendments. As West Marin’s communities deal with the increasing effects of climate change, like sea level rise, it is more important than ever for the update to be California Coastal Act (Coastal Act) compliant, so it can be approved by the California Coastal Commission.
What is the Local Coastal Program (LCP)?
Local Coastal Programs are land use planning documents that allow counties and cities to implement the California Coastal Act (Coastal Act) at the local level, laying out a framework for development and coastal resource protection within the Coastal Zone area. These plans are required by the Coastal Act and must be submitted to the Coastal Commission for certification.
What is the Coastal Act?
The Coastal Commission was created by voters through the initiative, Proposition 20. The creation of the Coastal Act in 1976 followed shortly after. The Act guides how land along California’s coast is developed or protected from development. The Act protects public access and coastal recreation, enhancement of sensitive habitat and biodiversity, preservation of open space and agricultural lands, and prioritization of coastal-dependent development.
Updating the LCP
We have been engaging with the public process to update Marin County’s LCP, since it began 17 years ago. We opposed approving the LCP without updating the environmental hazard chapters in 2021, which are critical to the health and safety of West Marin’s coastal communities, especially as they become increasingly vulnerable to the threat of climate change and rising seas.
Updating Marin County’s LCP has been a long process, and the environmental hazard amendments an even longer one. In 2019, the Coastal Commission certified the County’s LCP amendments except for those regarding environmental hazards, and currently, the environmental hazard sections certified by the Coastal Commission in 1981 are still in effect. County staff have been continually working on and engaging stakeholders in an update to these necessary sections.
Marin County Planning staff released a draft for the public to review in November of last year. County staff met with various stakeholder groups, including the EAC Board, to present the draft amendments and solicit feedback. A community webinar was held in December of 2024, soliciting additional comments. Overall, around 350 people engaged with County staff during these events, and the current draft of the environmental hazards amendments was significantly revised in February of this year based on that feedback, creating the Planning Commission Review Draft.
EAC Concerns with the Environmental Hazard Amendments Draft
This new draft raised significant concerns for EAC and Surfrider (who are both part of the ActCoastal coalition) due to the removal of policies about nature-based adaptation in favor of those that erode public beaches and further develop high-risk areas. California Coastal Commission staff also submitted a letter, warning that the policies as presented in the draft were not Coastal Act compliant, and thus would likely not be approved by the Coastal Commission itself. EAC and Surfrider held the same concerns and submitted written comments. EAC spoke at the March 10th Marin County Planning Commission meeting, advocating for equitable coastal access, nature-based solutions, and a precautionary approach to planning and development in hazardous areas. EAC later spoke at the March 24th hearing, where we reiterated the need for the amendments to comply with the law.
Submitting this draft without ensuring Coastal Act compliance would be a waste of taxpayer dollars (as well as further delay its adoption) to the detriment of our coastal resources and communities. This would also not be the first time the environmental hazard amendments have failed to be approved.
While community input is incredibly important in the public process, the draft chapter must be consistent with the Coastal Act and be certified by the Coastal Commission. Though we know this has been a long process, we are eager to see a draft that has a good chance at approval by the Coastal Commission—even if that means more revisions now.
We are pleased to learn that Marin County Planning staff will be meeting with Coastal Commission staff in the coming weeks to further revise the draft amendments. West Marin’s coasts provide amazing recreation opportunities and critical relief from rising temperatures—all of which are threatened by sea level rise. As the County works on its update, we will be watching closely to make sure their hard work will ultimately be approved by the Coastal Commission and be robust enough to protect communities and the environment in the face of escalating climate change challenges.
The Marin County Planning Commission will (tentatively) hold an additional public hearing on May 29th. Check for meeting details here. If you have comments on the draft amendments and want them to be heard, please attend or share your concerns with us!
Learn More:
Joint Comment Letter
EAC Comment Letter
Marin coast hazard policy effort dealt new setback
Watch a Video to Learn More about the History of the Coastal Act
