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California Coastal Commission

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EJ Resources and FAQs

Environmental Justice Guidance Documents | Project-related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | Videos and Webinars | Year in Review Reports

Environmental Justice Guidance Documents

  • Resources for Addressing Environmental Justice in Local Coastal Programs

    This document provides guidance on incorporating the principles of environmental justice in Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) including background on the historical context of environmental justice; how changes in the Coastal Act and adoption of the Commission’s EJ Policy intersect with LCPs; and examples and best practices on priority topic areas.

  • A Coast for All: An Interactive Story Map

    Scroll through this storymap to learn about the creation and implementation of the 2019 Environmental Justice Policy at the California Coastal Commission.

  • Environmental Justice Resources for Educators and Students

    These lessons can be adapted to online distance-learning platforms, and can be integrated into environmental science, social studies, government, geography, and health classes, among others.

  • How to Provide Public Comment (webinar)

    This webinar offers tips on how to sign up for and provide effective public comments on projects during Commission hearings.

  • Coastal California Environmental Justice Mapping Tool

    The CCEJ Tool was developed to assist applicants, analysts, and the public with the implementation of the California Coastal Commission’s Environmental Justice Policy. The information available in this map is based on federal and state definitions for terms used and data that combines environmental and demographic indicators in maps and reports.

  • Environmental Justice Considerations in CCEJ User Guide

    The companion User Guide to the CCEJ Mapping Tool includes a number of questions and layers that could be useful when seeking to understand potential environmental justice concerns surrounding a project site or scope.

Project-related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)



Videos and Webinars

Advancing Environmental Justice at the California Coastal Commission | 2026 Update

  • In 2019, the California Coastal Commission adopted its first Environmental Justice (EJ) Policy, establishing a clear commitment to ensuring equitable access to California’s coast and meaningful participation for all communities. Six years later, the Commission has completed or made significant progress on every implementation action identified in the policy. This presentation shares the 2026 Environmental Justice Report, fulfilling the EJ Policy’s mandate for transparency, public review, and measurable outcomes.

Public Participation Workshop for Coastal Commission Hearings

  • In partnership with Outdoor Outreach, Coastal Commission staff held a workshop in May 2025 highlighting the importance of public participation and how to best provide public comment at the agency's monthly meetings.

Environmental Justice Update to the Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance Presentation to the Coastal Commission

  • This presentation focused on updates related to the integration of environmental justice principles into sea level rise adaptation planning and policies. The Policy Guidance was subsequently adopted in November 2024 with these EJ updates.

How to Provide Public Comment Instructions

  • In 2022, the Coastal Commission partnered with the Bren School for the Environment in UC Santa Barbara to create instructions for how to provide public comment during hearings.

Sea Level Rise and Environmental Justice

  • The California Coastal Commission heard a briefing on sea level rise and environmental justice on Feb. 14, 2020.

Environmental Justice Policy Overview

  • This 2019 webinar was created shortly after the adoption of the EJ Policy. It includes an in-depth review of what the policy is and how staff has been implementing it in their permitting and planning work thus far. The first 20 minutes of the video is the staff presentation and the remaining time is a Q&A with the audience.

Environmental Justice Policy Adoption Commission Hearing

  • Coastal Commission approves sweeping new environmental justice policy to increase coastal protections for all Californians. Watch the archived hearing from March 8th, 2019. Item begins ~1:35:00.

Environmental Justice Update to the Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance Presentation to the Coastal Commission