Following on the success of last year's inaugural Love Your Beach tour, Surfrider's California team launched another LYB postcard-signing effort over the summer. This year's goal: Pass AB 2734, legislation that would correct the way Whale Tail license plate funds are distributed.
If you've ever spotted a California license plate with a whale's tail rising from the waves, you've seen one of the most visible ways Californians support their coast. Now, thanks in part to the enthusiasm of Surfrider activists all along the state, more of the money those Whale Tail plates generate will go directly where drivers expect it to: Beaches, coastal access, and ocean education.
While such a campaign may lack obvious urgency, under the surface, this win is one of the biggest investments in the future of California's coast and ocean we've ever had.
The grant programs funded by Whale Tail license plate sales include hundreds of incredible projects that encompass:
- Youth education programs focusing on marine and coastal environments.
- Programs for educating the general public or adults about ocean and coastal health.
- Climate change education and stewardship initiatives.
- Shoreline cleanup and enhancement programs (such as Adopt-A-Beach projects and habitat restoration
AB 2734, authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart of Santa Barbara, was signed by Governor Newsom on September 20, and will usher in a new funding era for some of California's most inspiring coastal access programs.
What AB 2734 Does
Previously, when Californians bought Whale Tail license plates, the revenue went into a broad, general state environmental fund. Under the new law, that process is streamlined so the money goes exactly where it's needed: 100% of the proceeds from "Whale Tail" coastal plates are now locked in and split evenly between local beach cleanup/education programs and efforts to expand public coastal access.
The law also taps another specialty plate for the coast. Starting in 2027, a share of revenue from the 49ers Foundation license plate program will support the Coastal Commission's Whale Tail Grants Program, Adopt-A-Beach, Coastal Cleanup Day, and other coastal education programs; the Conservancy's Explore the Coast grants; and the state's Outdoor Equity Grants Program.
Why It Matters
Whale Tail dollars fund grants that get kids to the beach for the first time, support the volunteers who clean our shorelines every year, and help communities build the trails, stairways, and amenities that make the coast reachable. Programs like Explore the Coast are specifically designed to open the coast to people who have historically been shut out of it.
When Californians choose a Whale Tail plate, they're making a statement about what they value. AB 2734 makes sure their money follows that choice. That's why we made AB 2734 the centerpiece of this year's Love Your Beach effort.
Thank You
This win belongs to the Surfrider volunteers and supporters who took action, whether filling out Love Your Beach postcards at an event or sending a digital letter via our Take Action page, as well as to Assemblymember Hart for championing coastal access and every legislator who voted "AYE" for the future of California's coast.
And if you're due to renew your vehicle registration, consider making the switch to a Whale Tail plate to support the coast we all care about! Now you'll know *exactly* where your funds are going!
As California Policy Associate Director, Jennifer advocates at the legislature and in front of state agencies to ensure protection of the Golden State's 1,100 miles of coastline. Based in Humboldt County, she supports California's 20 chapters on regional ocean protection efforts.