GONZALES — California Coastal Commission met in Gonzales earlier this month for a three-day public hearing that brought coastal policy discussions inland and encouraged broader public participation from Central Coast communities.
The meeting, held April 15-17 at the newly opened Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center, comes as the state marks the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, which established the California Coastal Commission.
The commission’s mission is “to protect and enhance California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations” through environmentally sustainable development, scientific review, public participation, education and intergovernmental coordination.
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas welcomed the commission to Gonzales, emphasizing the importance of making coastal decision-making accessible to inland communities.
“The coast belongs to all Californians, and Coastal Commission decisions cast ripple effects far beyond the shoreline. This month’s public hearing in Gonzales is a powerful reminder that protecting our coast requires a strong voice from every community,” Rivas said.
Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez, who serves as the Central Coast representative on the commission, highlighted the role local communities played in hosting the event.
“It’s been an honor to host my colleagues here in the Salinas Valley, but my highlight so far was having the Gonzales Youth Council welcome us into the house they built,” Lopez posted on social media April 16. “The Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center was dreamed into being by the GYC and they continue to advocate for the needs of our youth and community as a whole. So proud of them. We are all so proud. Mayor Jackson of Hermosa Beach shared he was so inspired he has asked his community to look at the model created here.”
The new community center, which hosted the hearings, was developed through collaboration between the Gonzales City Council, Youth Council and local leaders.
Gonzales Mayor Jose Rios said hosting the commission during its milestone year was an opportunity to elevate local voices in coastal policy discussions.
“On behalf of the City of Gonzales, I’m proud to welcome the California Coastal Commission to our community as it marks its 50th anniversary,” Rios said. “Hosting this meeting here is a meaningful opportunity to be part of important conversations about the future of our coast. We’re grateful to showcase our city and ensure that voices from across our region are heard.”
The commission also emphasized that public hearings are intended to ensure all Californians have access to coastal decision-making, including inland communities tied to the coast through agriculture, water systems, tourism and regional economies.
During the three-day meeting, commissioners heard public comment and discussed coastal development, resource protection and long-term planning for the state’s shoreline.
Commission approves coastal education and access grants
At the April meeting, the California Coastal Commission approved $2 million in grants for schools, nonprofits and tribes. The grants advance public education, conservation and access to the coast.
The commission approved 47 grants after receiving a record-breaking 434 applications requesting a total of nearly $17 million. Many applicants were first-time applicants with proposals aimed at expanding coastal access and education for communities facing barriers.
Among the funded programs were several Central Coast projects:
- Bird School Project received $48,349 for “Bilingual Birding With Families: From Neighborhoods to the Elkhorn Slough,” which will include bilingual neighborhood bird walks, family boat trips on Elkhorn Slough and hands-on learning tools focused on coastal ecosystems for communities in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
- Seventh Generation Rising received $48,000 for “Coastal Healing & Stewardship: An Indigenous-Led Enrichment Program for CCC Youth,” partnering with the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, Carmel Band of Rumsen Indians and Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos to provide California Conservation Corps members with coastal immersion days, talking circles and restoration-focused workshops.
- Monterey Waterkeeper received $28,519 for “Central Coast Water Leaders: A River-to-Sea Community Stewardship Initiative,” supporting watershed education, creek clean-ups and restoration activities in Salinas and Castroville, including Elkhorn Slough field trips for students.
“We’re excited to support all of these wonderful projects,” said Annie Kohut Frankel, the Coastal Commission’s public education program manager. “There’s clearly an overwhelming need for this funding so we’ll continue to work to expand the Whale Tail program to meet the need.”
The grants are funded through a partnership with the Ocean Protection Council using California Climate Investments funds.
The Whale Tail grant program, launched in 1998, is the state’s longest-running coastal stewardship and outdoor access funding program. It originated with the Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail specialty license plate and has since supported more than 1,100 grants, including programs tied to California Coastal Cleanup Day.
