2023 was another great year for Surfrider in California! Chapters and staff worked together to achieve nine Coastal Victories that represent public policy decisions to help protect our coast. Local Surfrider chapters and student clubs hosted 589 beach cleanups that engaged 26,945 volunteers and collected 87,432 pounds of trash; and 13 volunteer-led Blue Water Task Force water testing labs processed almost 2,500 water-quality samples. Here’s a look at some more of our accomplishments in each of our five initiatives:
Beach Access
In Oceanside, the San Diego County Chapter successfully advocated the Coastal Commission to require beachfront property owners to conduct new Mean High Tide Line surveys before permitting seawall repairs. This will provide the proof we need to demonstrate that privately owned revetments now sit on public beaches, and allow us to get a better deal for the public who’ve lost access to most of their beaches due to worsening erosion exacerbated by miles of privately owned seawalls.
The San Diego County Chapter won an important victory in Del Mar when, after several years of deliberation, a federal board denied North County Transit District’s petition to waive local & state environmental review for coastal bluff stabilization projects that protect the railroad — ensuring that no rail agency can sidestep accountability for negative impacts to our public beaches. With more momentum than ever from our local and state leaders, this crucial federal decision allows the effort to relocate the railroad off of Del Mar’s eroding bluffs to 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬.
After a 40-year battle, improved public access to Escondido Beach in Malibu has finally been secured. The Coastal Commission and State Coastal Conservancy collaborated to resolve a long-standing dispute with Malibu homeowners, who had obstructed beach access by evading their responsibility to provide a public accessway. Surfrider supported these efforts and is excited to see public access and parking near Escondido Beach restored!
The LA Chapter’s One Watershed Program aims to help break down invisible barriers to accessing the beach and ocean. One Watershed encourages a love for our shores and promotes beach equity by facilitating LA County-based youth to enjoy surfing, sun, and community watershed chats. Partnering with Aqua Surf School, this initiative fosters belonging and the idea that the beach is for everyone. In 2023, we introduced 145 participants to surfing through One Watershed and partnered with three new organizations: Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena, and Boys & Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles.
From the shores of Marin to the coastline of San Mateo County, our Northern California chapters sparked waves of positive change this summer by helping fund, organize, and support free surf camps! From teaching kids the thrill of surfing to fostering a love for our coasts and oceans, it’s a community effort that’s making waves of difference. The Marin Chapter collaborated with the San Geronimo Valley Community Center to run four sessions of Surfworks, a free surf camp for kids. The San Mateo Chapter collaborated with City Surf Project to introduce ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar) kids to the wonders of surfing! As we reflect on these remarkable experiences, we’re reminded of the incredible impact of community partnerships. By getting kids into the water and helping to reduce financial and logistical barriers to surfing, we’re not just creating surfers — we’re fostering the next generation of ocean stewards who will carry the love for our coastlines into the future.
Clean Water
In 2023, we added 284 plants in new and existing Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) in LA County, pulled countless weeds, and collectively prevented thousands of gallons of runoff from entering storm drains and polluting our waves and beaches. In Long Beach, our OFG team helped distribute 4,862 native milkweed plants to 745 households, getting community members excited about creating biodiverse green spaces while avoiding harmful pesticides that pollute our watershed. Volunteers in Long Beach also installed 2 new rain gardens, helped out the VA Patient Garden, and collaborated with the city water department to revitalize an OFG in need.
The Surfrider South Bay Chapter bolstered and extended their volunteer-led Teach and Test program, dedicated to educating local public school students on monitoring bacteria levels in their nearby watershed and ocean water. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the outcomes of the Teach and Test initiative were remarkably impactful. The program successfully introduced over 300 participants from 14 schools to water quality sampling, expanded its reach to include more inland sites and communities, and diligently monitored 24 locations from September 2022 to May 2023. Check out the chapter’s impact report HERE!
In the LA Chapter, the core volunteer team has doubled, now with over 20 dedicated Blue Water Task Force volunteers! They welcomed a new leader and two new coordinators, bringing diverse leadership to our program. One new testing site was added to broaden community impact. There were 50 active volunteers in 2023, including 12 processors and 7 result readers. There were 436 samples taken and 898 total volunteer hours. Two school trainings were conducted at UCLA & ELAC, and there were five public trainings, including one at Santa Monica College.
The San Diego County Chapter continues to highlight the Clean Border Water Now campaign. What a year it has been in the struggle for clean border water — we witnessed not only historic highs and alarming lows, but also a growing social movement demanding action to address the border pollution crisis. Read the full blog to learn more about 2023’s highs and lows, and what keeps us fired up going into 2024.
The San Francisco Chapter launched their Blue Water Task Force with the goal of making water quality and public health information as accessible and inclusive as possible! The chapter wants to raise awareness about historical and current environmental health disparities in the Bay Area. With this in mind, they were very thoughtful in selecting their sampling sites and decided to start by testing a recreational area adjacent to the Bayview and Hunter’s Point neighborhoods that are home to predominantly Black and Brown communities. Many of the families living in these neighborhoods are low-income and have long faced disproportionate exposure to environmental pollution that is hazardous to their health. The chapter is also testing two other sites where their members enjoy surfing, swimming, or just jumping in the water to cool off.
Coast and Climate
The Coastal Commission approved the City of Manhattan Beach’s local coastal program update for coastal hazards with the staff’s suggested modifications. Manhattan Beach faces climate change and sea level rise vulnerability over the coming decades - especially with public infrastructure, storm drain outfalls, and sewer lines. To plan for coastal resiliency, the City includes an emphasis on nature-based adaptation measures, protection of public access, recreation and sensitive coastal resources and inclusionary public participation processes.
The Coastal Commission voted unanimously to approve a ‘Public Trust Guiding Principles and Action Plan,’ which includes ten principles and actions that outline how the commission views the Coastal Act in addressing threats to public trust resources caused by sea level rise and related decision-making. Surfrider strongly supported many aspects of this plan. In particular, Principle 6 pertains to armoring and clarifies that property owners may not unilaterally occupy the public trust. Read the Action Plan here.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive Local Coastal Program (LCP) update and site-specific protection for vulnerable coastal areas was included, after being threatened for removal. In response to concerns about a proposed energy storage project, the Board of Supervisors also added a policy that requires a vote of the electorate before such a project can be approved at Fort Ross.
We advocated for SB 272 to require Local Coastal Program Updates by 2034! SB 272 requires all coastal California areas to have Local Coastal Programs that account for sea level rise within ten years. Such a mandate allows for the use of best science, equitable community engagement, and transparent decision-making for sea level rise planning. When it comes to anticipating sea level rise, failing to plan is planning to fail. The coastal storms of January 2023 gave Californians an idea of how sea level rise will chip away at our coastline. More here.
We defended climate resilience funding! Surfrider led a coalition of 35 organizations to respond by urging the state to restore a budget that would better prepare coastal communities for the reality of sea level rise and storm surge. This funding will be used to fund projects like living shorelines that restore nature, facilitate coastal access, and provide a buffer from storm surge. It will also be used to help local governments complete sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation plans. Find more details on our campaign page!
We advocated for SB 286 to support California natural resources agencies in preparing for offshore wind. This bill keeps the State Lands Commission in charge of the CEQA process for offshore wind — equipping an important California natural resource agency to manage offshore wind development in a way that most aligns with our state's legal foundation for protecting coastal resources and coastal access. More details here.
Ocean Protection
Surfrider participated with a coalition of groups advocating for the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in Central California. Over 98,000 comments were submitted in support of the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (Chumash Sanctuary), according to an independent analysis of the publicly available comments submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The 60-day comment period, which was the last public comment period in the Chumash Sanctuary designation process, ended on October 25th. It began in late August with the release of the Chumash Sanctuary’s Draft Management Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, and Draft Proposed Rule. This comment period was specifically intended for NOAA to gather public input on the draft documents to inform the Chumash Sanctuary’s final designation documents. The final designation of the Chumash Sanctuary is expected in mid-2024.
Plastic Pollution
After successful campaigns in Encinitas & Solana Beach, the San Diego County Chapter turned their focus to neighboring Del Mar and pushed the city to prioritize helium balloon restrictions. Thanks to a concerted volunteer effort and support from Del Mar staff and City Council, the ordinance passed unanimously at both its 1st & 2nd readings. With Del Mar joining its northern neighbors to phase out helium balloons, the San Diego County Chapter has helped reduce balloon pollution across 12 miles of San Diego’s coastline.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the South Orange County Chapter and our partners, we successfully advocated for a comprehensive ban on the retail sale, release, and use of balloons in Laguna Beach, which was approved by the Laguna Beach City Council in February 2023. This significant decision by the City Council holds promising benefits for our environment and wildlife. Balloons, whether intentionally or unintentionally released into the sky, have a detrimental impact on both marine and terrestrial ecosystems upon their return to the Earth. This proactive measure taken by Laguna Beach reflects a commitment to preserving our surroundings and safeguarding the well-being of both nature and our communities.
The Oceanside City Council unanimously voted to ban polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) and single-use plastic carryout bags for all businesses, thanks to a multi-year effort by our San Diego County Chapter to reduce plastic pollution. Undeterred after a foam ban failed in 2021 due to concerns that it unfairly targeted restaurants, the chapter launched a new campaign to support a stronger ordinance that would cover all businesses equally and prohibit plastic bags. The chapter worked diligently with the city, business groups, and the community-at-large to ensure the ordinance would succeed.
With the passage of SB 54: Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, Surfrider has been closely involved with the state’s rulemaking process and providing public comment to ensure that this landmark law that would reduce single-use plastic packaging is successfully implemented. The draft regulatory text was recently released and Surfrider staff is on CalRecycle’s director-appointed advisory board to help identify barriers and solutions to creating a circular economy.
Additional chapter highlights include:
San Diego County Chapter’s 31st Annual Paddle for Clean Water. Hundreds of ocean lovers and beach enthusiasts from throughout San Diego County joined to make a statement in support of clean water at Surfrider Foundation San Diego County’s 31st Annual Paddle for Clean Water. This year, the paddle focused on the border pollution crisis and Surfrider’s ongoing advocacy through the Clean Border Water Now program. During the event, San Diego announced a petition to Governor Newsom and President Biden calling for an emergency declaration at the US-Mexico border and the more than 3,200 signatures from concerned residents demonstrating the widespread support for decisive action on this issue from our elected leaders.
The Surfrider South Orange County Chapter has played a pivotal role in advocating for the relocation of the railroad, improved sand management practices, and establishing living shorelines to enhance the overall health and resilience of the South OC coastal environment in 2023. The chapter has been actively engaged at the local, state, and federal levels, working to secure increased funding and community support for these types of campaigns.
The Surfrider North Orange County Chapter played a key role in organizing the highly successful 23rd Annual Surf City Splash. This event brought together hundreds of community members eager to kick off the new year with a splash, as they plunged into the ocean near the Huntington Beach Pier to mark the beginning of 2023 and contributed to the local chapter's fundraising efforts.
Surfrider Long Beach Chapter celebrated Latino Conservation Week this past year with a native milkweed giveaway at Willow Springs Park with bilingual classes about milkweed and monarchs in both English and Spanish. In total, the Long Beach Chapter was able to distribute a grand total of 4,862 milkweed plants to 745 households in 2023! Read more about their impact here.
Surfrider South Bay Chapter held an incredibly successful May beach cleanup in collaboration with the Los Angeles Chargers at Dockweiler Beach. Over 100 volunteers removed about 600 pounds of trash from the Dockwiler coastline.
The Surfrider LA Chapter BCU program achieved remarkable success and made a significant impact throughout the year. Our introduction of the LA Beach Cleanup Blast Newsletter served as an excellent communication platform, circulating to over 2,000 volunteers from May to December. This monthly newsletter shared program updates, highlighted different programs and core volunteers, and featured a new blog post addressing our main environmental concerns each month. During Earth Day weekend, we extended our outreach up the watershed, organizing an educational cleanup in collaboration with Friends of the LA River. This initiative aimed to emphasize that our environmental efforts commence in the LA watershed, contributing to the diversification of our chapter's mission. In total, we conducted over 65 beach cleanups in Los Angeles, successfully collecting more than 3,600 lbs of waste, including a substantial proportion of microplastics.
The Ventura County Chapter won three Coastal Victories in 2023 in addition to running successful ongoing programs. They typically host three beach cleanups every month, they have a great Blue Water Task Force water testing program, and the Hold On To Your Butt program installs and maintains outdoor ashtrays to help reduce cigarette litter pollution. Progress is being made to get closer to bringing down Matilija Dam, and phase two of the Surfers’ Point managed retreat project was approved by the CA Coastal Commission in 2023. Construction is expected to begin there in September 2024.
The Santa Barbara County Chapter continues its focus on protecting the Gaviota Coast. The chapter hosted a few fun beach cleanups, had some awesome guest speakers at their bi-monthly chapter meetings, and got this great shout-out from World Champion Shaun Tomson.
The San Luis Obispo County Chapter led the outreach efforts to generate comments for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The chapter has a great Microplastics Task Force that surveys microplastics at the beach. The SLO Blue Water Task Force water testing program was recently featured in the news:
The Monterey County Chapter had a great year with a regular schedule of beach cleanups and fun events. Check out their Instagram feed for some of the highlights, including a silent disco beach party!
The Santa Cruz County Chapter has a great Blue Water Task Force water testing program and they brought on a new volunteer Executive Committee in late 2023.
The San Mateo County Chapter turned 25 in 2023! The Chapter was formed on 4/18/98 in an effort to take on developers, work on water quality issues, and protect beach access. 25 years later, they have a thriving Blue Water Task Force and are using the BWTF data to advocate for cleaner watersheds in San Mateo County. Check out this op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle to learn more about the local water quality issues they are working on improving!
The San Francisco Chapter hosted Stokefest, a celebration of inclusion and joy in surfing! Thousands of people came out to Ocean Beach to enjoy community art projects, live music, and a film produced by the chapter that was projected on the dunes of the Great Highway. During the festivities, the chapter also set a new Surfrider record, recruiting 91 new members in a day!
The Sonoma Coast Chapter hosted their 12th annual Blue Water Paddle Race. Over 75 paddlers came out to race in Bodega Bay, rallying around a clean, healthy, and vibrant ocean!
Ocean Night has made a triumphant return in Humboldt! The Humboldt Chapter's regular ocean movie night brings members of the community together to enjoy environmental films and talk about emerging environmental threats in Humboldt County. The chapter had a busy year weighing in on local offshore wind projects, wastewater treatment plant water quality impacts, and aquafarm projects. They continue to be incredible advocates for protecting Humboldt Bay and the North Coast!