Coastal panel’s plan outlines goals without citing costs

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(The Center Square) – A plan that details goals for California’s coastal communities has no dollar amounts attached to any of its proposed projects, leaving taxpayers with little to no information about the costs.

The California Coastal Commission’s 2026-2030 strategic plan shows the agency wants to expand access to beaches, reduce or eliminate fees for camping and spend time on the coast, with a focus on protecting communities from climate change and protecting wildlife habitats.

However, the plan doesn’t propose costs for any of those goals.

Members of the California Coastal Commission did not respond to The Center Square's request for comment.

“The California Coastal Commission is important to protecting our region. Recent wildfires in Big Sur and potential impacts of El Niño underscore how much our coast needs help,” Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-San Luis Obispo and chair of the California Coastal Legislative Caucus, told The Center Square. “I look forward to this strategic plan, creating meaningful policies and a roadmap for future funding for our region to address sea level rise, coastal erosion, flooding and infrastructure needs, as we plan for future challenges.”

The Center Square reached out to 14 Democratic and Republican lawmakers who represent coastal districts. They did not respond or declined to comment.

According to the 2026-27 state budget, the California Coastal Commission got $44,329,000, with $28,569,000 coming from the state’s general fund, which is funded entirely with taxpayer dollars. An additional $6,847,000 came from reimbursements. And $3,591,000 is paid for by the taxpayer-funded federal trust fund, along with $1,674,000 from the state’s Coastal Act Services Fund, $1,410,000 from the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account. The Environmental License Plate Fund generated $457,000 from the sale of specialized California plates.

The State Coastal Conservancy Fund was allocated $525,000, while the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which gets its money from the state’s cap-and-trade program, was allocated $690,000. The Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund was allocated $253,000, while the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund was allocated $315,000.

It is unclear how much of the commission’s budget allocation this year went toward paying for implementation of the goals stipulated in the strategic plan.

Among the plan's goals are expanding access to the state’s beaches, keeping costs down for those who camp on the beach, keeping housing costs low for the workforce in coastal communities and carrying out efforts to return land to Native American tribes along the coast.

Goals also include enforcing natural resource protection laws, adapting coastal communities to rising sea levels and encouraging transportation that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, among many other aims.

Coastal organizations that already do work similar to the goals in the strategic plan did not respond to The Center Square or declined to comment.