AB 1228 would establish the California Public Beach Enhancement Program, to be administered by the Department of Boating and Waterways, for specified public beach enhancement purposes. The bill would require the department, not later than January 1, 1999, to establish the California Public Beach Enhancement Program Technical Advisory Committee, and would prescribe the membership and functions of the committee. The bill would appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department to establish and fund the program.
History and Sponsorship: This bill is sponsored by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.
Existing Law: Under existing law, the Department of Boating and Waterways is authorized as the state’s lead agency with regard to coastal beach erosion control and stabilization of beaches and shoreline areas.
Changes Proposed by this Bill: This bill would establish the California Public Beach Enhancement Program, which would be administered by the Department of Boating and Waterways, for the purposes of beach enhancement, restoration, nourishment, and stabilization.
The Department would be required to establish and appoint members to the California Public Beach Enhancement Program Technical Advisory Committee, which shall provide advice and guidance to the Department on the implementation of the program.
The Department would also be required, not later than January 1, 2000, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that evaluates the need for public beach enhancement projects and the potential effectiveness of the California Public Beach Enhancement Program in addressing that need.
This bill would appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Fund to establish and fund the program.
Discussion: Beach and shoreline erosion can cause the loss of sandy beaches, the loss of beach access and recreational opportunities, and threatens public and private property. Beach erosion has been accelerated by human activities such as the removal of beach sand for building material, the reduction of sand supplies by dams and flood control projects, the interruption of normal sediment transport, the placement of permanent structures in or on top of sand, and other modifications to normal sand accretion and erosion cycles. Most of these threats are not from the activities that directly effect the beach, but are secondary effects from other activities such as property protection, flood control, energy development, and harbor expansion.
Approximately 86% (925 miles) of the California coast is eroding, a problem that extends beyond the governmental boundaries of individual coastal communities. While coastal communities provide many beach related services, many coastal communities do not have the fiscal resources to deal with beach erosion problems and are searching for ways to fund needed beach erosion control and shoreline stabilization projects. Because beach sand migrates through the littoral shoreline system without regard for municipal boundaries, beach nourishment is often viewed as an undertaking that has greater than local benefit.
Areas such as Santa Monica have been successfully nourished for years and demonstrate that beach nourishment can function effectively on California beaches. These projects also demonstrate that there are opportunities to mitigate impacts to sand supply (as required in Coastal Act Section 30235).
This bill would create a statewide beach enhancement program that would lead to projects that improve the quality of public beaches used for recreation, improved public access opportunities, and increase shoreline protection.
The technical advisory committee established through this bill would provide the Commission with technical expertise on matters pertaining to beach nourishment projects throughout the state as well as provide information on areas of the coast where beach nourishment projects would be an effective alternative for shoreline protection.
This program is compatible with the long-term goal of the Coastal Act to support and enhance coastal access to California’s beaches.
This bill has no fiscal impacts on the Coastal Commission.
Staff recommends that the Commission SUPPORT AB 1169. (Adopted 4/10/97)
For more information contact Jeff Stump, Legislative Coordinator, at (916) 445-6067.
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