In 1972, alarmed that private development was cutting off public access to the shore, Californians rallied to “Save Our Coast.” They declared by voter initiative that “it is the policy of the State to preserve, protect, and where possible, restore the resources of the coastal zone for the enjoyment of the current and succeeding generations.” This voter initiative, Proposition 20, was a hard-fought campaign, which ultimately led to the passage of the Coastal Act and the establishment of the California Coastal Commission.

Many people’s stories have been collected about the history of Prop. 20, the early years of the California Coastal Commission, and some especially significant public access and coastal preservation successes. Members of the public interested in learning more are invited to explore the following resources:

• "Heroes of the Coast" is an extensive oral history project compiled by Earth Alert that includes video interviews (and transcripts of those interviews) with key players in the passage of Prop. 20 and the creation of the Coastal Commission. Excerpts from different interviews were also compiled into a 52-minute documentary.
• The Oral History Center at UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library is releasing podcasts about different sites along California’s coastline where proposed major development projects were successfully challenged. Background interviews related to the Coastal Commission are also posted on the website.
• KRCB Radio and Coastwalk California produced a podcast series (also with transcripts) featuring three high-profile success stories of the Coastal Commission and the Coastal Act: a right-of-way owned by Southern Pacific Railroad became the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail; the Jonathan Club in Santa Monica was forced to end racial and gender discrimination within its membership; and affordable historic cottages at Crystal Cove State Park were saved instead of becoming a luxury resort.
• With funding from the WHALE TAIL^® Grant Program, Rigler Creative produced a series of five short videos about the California coast, including one on the first 40 Years of the California Coastal Act, and an Emmy Award-winning PBS special about coastal access in California, titled The California Coast: Within Sight, Sound, and Smell of the Ocean.

Guardians of the Coast: How the California Coastal Commission Was Born and Carries it Out its Mission

California’s 840 miles of coastline may be the most beautiful in the country, and with 362 miles of beach fully open to the public the state ranks among the best at sharing its coastal scenery with its people.

There is a reason California’s coast doesn’t resemble the Jersey Shore, or South Florida with its towering beachside hotels and luxury condos. That reason is the Coastal Commission. Except for San Francisco Bay, which has its own regulatory body, the Coastal Zone under the commission’s jurisdiction stretches from Mexico in the south to Oregon in the north.

The zone reaches three miles into the ocean—the outer limit of state waters—and generally about 1,000 yards inland from the high tide line, though in some areas it stretches farther back depending on the landscape.

With a massive amount of territory under its control, the Coastal Commission is one of the most powerful governmental bodies in the state. Where did it come from and how did it become such a dominant force? Click Here to Learn More