ACTION ALERT: Save the California Coastal Commission

Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump have more in common than you might think. 

Since the 1970s, the California Coastal Commission has been crucial in protecting and preserving California’s coastline. The agency, unlike many, is effective and vigorously defends its authority. As a result, the Coastal Commission has been a target of politicians seeking to fast-track development rather than safeguard the environment. 

President Trump has long hated the Coastal Commission. In 2006, Trump illegally erected a 70-foot flagpole on his gold club in Rancho Palos Verdes. The Commission and Trump battled over the flagpole—and the Commission’s right to regulate development in the Coastal Zone—for years. Others in Trump’s orbit also resent the Commission. Musk, too, supports Trump in his attempts to disband the Coastal Commission, after his legal battles over SpaceX’s rocket launch permits. 

Governor Newsom curiously also has a beef with the Commission. The Governor has repeatedly sought to reduce the power of the agency, although he has done so with more grace than the President. (Presumably, Newsom has been more delicate in his approach because the Coastal Commission is widely popular with California voters—especially his Democratic base.) After the LA fires, Newsom joined in the attempt to limit the authority of the Coastal Commission, arguing that the Commission wields too much power over development, particularly in housing and post-wildfire rebuilding efforts. His administration has backed legislative efforts to scale back the Coastal Commission’s jurisdiction, including exemptions for certain housing projects and emergency reconstruction. 

To be clear: we know building housing in Los Angeles is important, especially after the recent fires, but we have to do so in a way that is mindful of the environment and potential health risks. But the fires are just a proxy battle in a longstanding fight to defang California’s most effective environmental agency. If these efforts succeed, the consequences for California’s coast could be dire. A weakened Coastal Commission could have devastating consequences, paving the way for unchecked coastal development, minimized public access, and irreversible damage to the coastal ecosystems. 

EPIC supports environmentally responsible development to address complex housing needs but the Coastal Commission must be able to implement safeguards that have been in place for decades. The risks of sacrificing environmental protections for short-term gain are too high to ignore.

Click here to let Gov. Newsom know you support the California Coastal Commission’s critical role in protecting our coast.