Policy Update // Save the EPA & NOAA
The President’s FY 2018 Budget released by the Whitehouse earlier this week is bad news for clean water and healthy beaches. Steep and debilitating cuts to both the EPA & NOAA will severely impair these agencies' abilities to protect public health at the beach and support resilient coasts. Let Congress know that these budget cuts are not acceptable. Make Your Voice Heard! Sign the action alert now!
For more information, check out the latest blog entry and coverage in the Washington Post.
Policy Update // CEMEX Sand Mind
The tireless efforts of coastal engineer Ed Thornton, our Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter and Save Our Shores are paying off!
"On May 16, the State Lands Commission sent a letter to Cemex—the Mexico-based cement manufacturing giant—informing the company that it must immediately submit a lease application to the commission to continue operations at its sand mine in Marina, or else shut the mine down."
“This mine is a relic of an era that California and the nation rejected a long time ago, and it is past time that CEMEX engage in a dialogue on the future of operations.” –Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, chairman of the State Lands Commission. We agree: action against CEMEX has been overdue! Thank you to the Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission for defending the public trust!
Read more about this great news and the road ahead to secure this victory.
News Update // San Mateo BWTF in the press
"The calm water conditions appear safe, but in fact, the often polluted conditions likely pose more of a health risk to bathers than the rougher seas outside the harbor." http://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/san-mateo-county-bwtf-in-the-press
Action Alert // SB 42 - Martin's Beach
Please sign our action alert for SB 42! California Senate Bill 42 (Hill) will establish the Martins Beach Subaccount in the Land Bank Fund, which will allow the State Lands Commission to receive funds from public and private sources to fund acquisition of a right-of-way or easement for a public access route to and along Martins Beach in unincorporated San Mateo County at South Cabrillo Highway.
Please sign the action alert, asking for their support of the bill so that Martins Beach may some day be fully open to the public again.
Action Alert // AB 1129
#AB1129 passed through the Assembly Appropriations Committee! The Coastal Commission needs this bill to protect coastal access and shoreline habitat.
If you haven't added AB 1129 to your list of bills you're urging your state assemblyperson to vote YES on, it's time. Californians have recognized the coast as a precious resource since they approved the Coastal Act in 1976. Surfrider has worked tirelessly to carry out the will of Californians by helping make sure that the coast is accessible to everyone today and for generations to come. That’s why we support Assemblymember Mark Stone's AB 1129, which ensures that “coastal armoring,” also known as seawalls, are built and maintained in ways that protect beach access and sensitive shoreline habitat. Take action now!
News Alert // Santa Monica fights sea level rise with sand dunes!
At the north end of Santa Monica Beach, there’s a fenced off 2-acre section that looks a bit unkempt. It’s an experiment in "re-wilding," or restoring the beach to what it looked like before humans altered it. The pilot project, a partnership of The Bay Foundation and Santa Monica, could also help protect the city from sea level rise. This fascinating project offers a possible answer to sea level rise, one that is also a "low-cost, more aesthetically-pleasing alternative to sea walls." Read the full report here.