The Coastal Conservancy acts with others to preserve, protect and restore the resources of the California Coast. Our vision is of a beautiful, restored and accessible coastline.

South Coast Central Coast SF Bay Area North Coast Statewide and General

In January, March, May, June, September, October and December of 2005, the Conservancy approved the following:

South Coast

• A grant of $12,972,000 to the Nature Conservancy for the acquisition of approximately 276 acres at Ormond Beach in Ventura County for restoration of wetlands and related habitat.
• A grant of $500,000 to the City of San Clemente to construct the San Clemente Coastal Trail and associated beach accessways.
• A grant of $287,200 to the City of Laguna Niguel to assist with implementation of the Upper Sulphur Creek Restoration Project in southern Orange County.
• A grant of $200,000 to the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project for scientific review of the project alternatives, data collection, and monitoring program associated with the restoration of the Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles.
• A grant of $180,000 to the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) for preparation of the Rodeo Grounds berm removal study and a hydrogeological study of lower Topanga Creek in Malibu.
• A grant of $100,000 to the City of San Diego to implement a series of Beach Accessibility Improvements, including the continuation of the “Power Beach Chairs” program and the expanded use of portable beach wheelchair ramps, necessary to increase and improve access to city beaches by persons with physical disabilities.
• A grant of $10,500,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to acquire the 564-acre SOKA Property within the Malibu Creek watershed in Los Angeles County, to protect critical habitat, open space, and watershed lands and to implement the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Plan approved by the Conservancy on August 2, 2001.
• A grant of $295,440 to the Laguna Canyon Foundation for final design, fabrication and installation of interpretive exhibits for the James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park in Orange County.
• (1) A grant of $100,000 to the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council to complete the Compton Creek Watershed Management Plan implementation strategy and identify initial demonstration projects; and (2) a grant of $200,000 to Heal the Bay to finalize initial demonstration projects and provide project coordination in the Compton Creek watershed, Los Angeles County.
• A grant of $200,000 to the National Park Service to remove fish passage barriers and restore habitat conditions to facilitate passage for southern steelhead trout in Solstice Creek in the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu.
• A grant of $200,000 to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District to complete design plans for wetlands creation at the DeForest Basin along the Los Angeles River in the City of Long Beach.
• A grant of $177,000 to the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority to construct a portion of the Coast to Crest Trail, a multi-use trail system that will connect inland areas in north San Diego County to the coast near the City of Del Mar.
• Entry into an interagency agreement that would provide reimbursement of approximately $306,000 from the San Diego River Conservancy to the Coastal Conservancy for administrative services.
• A grant of $1,800,000 to the Los Angeles Harbor/Watts Economic Development Corporation for implementation of specific elements of the Los Angeles Harbor Area Public Access and Urban Waterfront Plan.
• A grant of $500,000 to the City of National City, San Diego County, for implementation of the Paradise Creek Educational Park.
• A grant of $765,000 to The Nature Conservancy for capital equipment to support the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey project of the Channel Islands Marine Protected Areas Monitoring Program within Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the Southern California Coast.
• A grant of $150,000 to San Diego EarthWorks to prepare a detailed assessment of the hydrologic, hydraulic, sediment-transport and geomorphic conditions of the Rose Creek watershed, San Diego County, and development of watershed restoration alternatives based on the opportunities identified in the Rose Creek Watershed Opportunities Assessment.
• Augmentation of the Conservancy’s January 29, 2004 authorization of funding to construct beach access improvements at Dan Blocker Beach in Malibu, by a grant of $20,000 of settlement funds plus accrued interest to Los Angeles County.
• A $100,000 grant to the Catalina Island Conservancy to implement the Catalina Island Habitat Improvement and Restoration Program, whose purpose is to protect the island’s habitats from the threat of invasive plants.
• A grant of $1,550,000 to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to acquire the “Portuguese Bend” and “Agua Amarga Canyon” properties, a total of about 463 acres, to protect threatened and endangered coastal wildlife habitat on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwestern Los Angeles County.
• Use of up to $1,000,000 to prepare engineering designs for removal of the Matilija Dam on a tributary of the Ventura River, including but not limited to disbursement of funds to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District for services provided by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
• A grant of $80,000 to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, to assist in the development of the aquarium’s Watershed Project, an environmental education exhibit.
• A grant of $350,000 to the City of Chula Vista to assist in the construction of a new environmental education exhibit at the Chula Vista Nature Center focused on the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), which is native to San Diego Bay.
• A grant of $70,000 to Access For All for a variety of site design tasks necessary to develop public coastal accessways in Malibu, Los Angeles County.
• A $150,000 grant to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a species recovery and access management program for the Western Snowy Plover and California Least Tern on publicly owned beaches in Ventura County.
• A $200,000 grant to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation for planning, data collection, and other activities associated with the restoration of the Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles.
• A $100,000 grant to GreenInfo Network for mapping and geographic information activities to support planning for the restoration and enhancement of the Ballona Wetlands.

Central Coast

• A grant of $350,000 to the California State Parks Foundation for the construction of the Año Nuevo Marine Education Center at Año Nuevo State Reserve in San Mateo County.
• A grant of $350,000 to the City of Pacifica to design and reconstruct an existing vertical beach and lateral blufftop accessway and to construct a new blufftop trail and park, San Mateo County.
• A $2,000,000 grant to Agri-Culture toward its acquisition of the 94-acre agricultural portion of the 154-acre Sand Hill Bluff property in northern Santa Cruz County.
• Amendment of the Conservancy's June 4, 2003, authorization to allow use of Conservancy funds then awarded for construction costs to now be used for pre-construction costs necessary for development of the Coastal Trail over the Pedro Point Headlands , San Mateo County.
• A grant of $120,000 to the Port San Luis Marine Institute to fabricate and install marine education displays in the new Avila Beach Marine Research and Education Center, San Luis Obispo County.
• A grant of $2,225,000, of which $2,000,000 is reimbursable, to the Peninsula Open Space Trust toward its costs of acquiring the San Gregorio Farms property in San Mateo County.
• A grant of $645,000 to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County for the acquisition and restoration of the Rossi property in lower Black Lake Canyon.
• A grant of $125,000 to Watsonville Wetlands Watch for construction of the Wetlands Educational Resource Center at Pajaro Valley High School near the Watsonville Slough System in Santa Cruz County.
• (1) A grant of $100,000 to the Trust for Public Land (TPL) for the management of public access to two sandy beaches, associated trails, and a parking area at Piedras Blancas, San Luis Obispo County; (2) authorization to enter into an option agreement with TPL for possible future public acquisition of the same property, and payment of $90,000 to TPL for the option.
• A grant of $300,000 to the County of Santa Barbara for the acquisition of three blufftop parcels on Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista.
• A grant of $510,000 to the Community Environmental Council to implement habitat improvement projects at two locations along Carpinteria Creek in Santa Barbara County.
• A $250,000 grant to the City of Pacifica, San Mateo County, for acquisition of a 2.17-acre blufftop property on Esplanade Drive for open space, natural resource protection, and public access.
• A $150,000 grant to Santa Barbara County to reconstruct three public beach accessways in Isla Vista.
• A $150,000 grant to San Luis Obispo County for reconstruction of five beach access stairways in the town of Cayucos.
• Amendment of the Conservancy’s May 27, 2004, authorization for the Goleta Slough Tidal Restoration Demonstration Project, whose purpose is to examine the potential effects of tidal restoration on the bird air strike hazard at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. The project will now involve the restoration of a single basin, rather than two.
• A grant of $100,000 to the Garrapata Creek Watershed Council to implement a watershed restoration project along Garrapata Creek in Big Sur, Monterey County.
• A $10-million grant to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission for the acquisition of approximately 32 miles of railroad right-of-way known as the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in order to preserve suitable portions of the right-of-way for future use as a public pedestrian and bicycle trail and as a segment of the California Coastal Trail.
• Redirection of $400,000 of funds previously awarded to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County for acquisition and restoration of an 18-acre portion of the Argano Ranch in the San Luis Obispo Creek watershed.
• Amendment of its August 14, 2003, grant to Sustainable Conservation to allow $120,000 of that grant to be used for construction of a well necessary for a fish barrier removal project along Pescadero Creek in San Mateo County’s Memorial County Park, and $20,000 to prioritize remaining fish barriers on public and private lands in the county for possible removal.

San Francsico Bay Area

• A grant of $1,300,000 to the Novato Sanitary District for construction of relocated de-chlorination facilities, necessary to carry out the Hamilton/Bel Marin Keys Wetland Restoration Project , Marin County.
• (1) Acceptance of a $3,000,000 grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) to implement the Invasive Spartina Control Program for 2005 and 2006 in San Francisco Bay; and (2) use of $1,672,550 of the WCB grant for environmental consulting services and a signage program needed to operate and manage the program on an accelerated schedule through 2006.
• A grant of $2,000,000 to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District for acquisition of the 1,737-acre Tolay Lake Ranch in southern Sonoma County for the protection and restoration of natural resources and to provide public access.
• A grant of $815,000 to the City of Albany for restoration of approximately 1/3 mile of Codornices Creek between 5 th and 8 th streets in the cities of Albany and Berkeley, Alameda County.
• (1) A grant of $1,125,000 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust for acquisition of the 702-acre Fernandez Ranch in Contra Costa County and for planning of stream restoration on the property; and (2) a grant of $58,000 to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council for planning of trails on the property.
• A grant of $235,100 to Sonoma County Regional Parks for construction of approximately 5 miles of the Bay Area Ridge Trail on Hood Mountain Regional Park.
• A grant of $1,000,000 to the City of Palo Alto to acquire the 13-acre Arastradero Preserve Gateway Parcel for the protection and restoration of natural resources and to enhance public access within the Enid Pearson-Arastradero Preserve and adjacent Foothills Park.
• A grant of $201,500 to PRBO Conservation Science for education facilities, displays, and equipment at PRBO’s San Francisco Bay Research Center near Shollenberger Park, Petaluma, Sonoma County.
• A grant of $110,000 to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to plan for approximately five miles of a new segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail on the north slope of Sonoma Mountain.
• (1) Entry into a cost share agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for preconstruction engineering and design for the Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration Project; (2) a grant of $250,000 to the Corps for those purposes.
• A grant of $50,000 to the Solano Land Trust to plan for a two-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and approximately four miles of community connector trails on the Vallejo Swett Ranch in Solano County.
• Amendment of a condition of the Conservancy’s March 10, 2005, grant award to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District for the acquisition of Tolay Lake Ranch, with regard to areas of the property that must be permanently dedicated for habitat preservation, open space protection and public access, until the District is able to repay its loan to the County of Sonoma for the remainder of the property.
• (1) Use of up to $814,725 for treatment and removal projects under the Invasive Spartina Project (ISP) Control Program; (2) adoption of findings regarding the proposed Addendum to the “Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report, San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project, Spartina Control Program”, incorporating the use of the herbicide imazapyr into the ISP Control Program; and (3) adoption of findings regarding environmental documentation for 22 site-specific Spartina treatment and eradication projects.
• A grant of $132,600 to the Port of San Francisco to restore and enhance approximately six acres of tidal wetlands in the San Francisco Bay at Pier 94.
• Certification of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Bel Marin Keys Unit V Expansion of the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project, Novato, Marin County.
• A $757,000 grant to the Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District to refine hydrologic modeling, analyze sediment transport, prepare environmental and conceptual design documents, and facilitate public participation related to the restoration of lower Sonoma Creek.
• A $400,000 grant to the East Bay Regional Park District to acquire 106 acres for addition to Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in Alameda County.
• (1) Use of up to $3,000,000 of Conservancy funds to undertake work associated with the South San Francisco Bay Salt Pond restoration planning effort, including costs for the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Study. (2) Redirection of previously authorized funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board for the cost-share agreement to the salt pond restoration project.
• A $100,000 grant to the KTEH- TV Foundation for production of a television documentary about San Francisco Bay.
• Authorization for the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to disburse up to $392,837 of previously authorized Conservancy funds for improvements and additions to the San Francisco Bay Trail on the Illinois Street Bridge in San Francisco and at Shoreline Park in the City of San Mateo for the new Bay Marshes Trail.
• A grant of $50,000 to the Sonoma Land Trust (SLT) to create a comprehensive invasive plant management program for protection of native plant and animal species, habitat restoration, and agricultural preservation on approximately 3,775 acres of open space and agricultural lands owned by SLT.
• A $200,000 grant to the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation to restore two miles of riparian corridor and 10 acres of upland oak savannah and to prepare site-specific engineering plans and environmental documentation for the restoration of five acres of seasonal wetlands, all located within the Laguna de Santa Rosa in Sonoma County.
• A $395,000 grant to the City of San Mateo to construct the Bay Marshes Trail in Shoreline Park.
• A $100,000 grant to Save San Francisco Bay Association to carry out six community-based wetlands restoration projects around San Francisco Bay.

North Coast

• A grant of $893,000 to the City of Crescent City to implement portions of the Crescent City Coastal Trail, Harbor Trail North Segment, including acquisition of the 1.16-acre Endert Property.
• A grant of $238,950 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to acquire the 54-acre Freshwater Farms property in Eureka, and $16,500 to develop a management plan and signage for the site.
• A grant of $490,000 to the Friends of the Dunes Land Trust for the acquisition of interests in the 112-acre Dunes Forest Reserve (“Poovey”) property on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay, and up to $15,000 to prepare a management plan for public access on the property.
• A grant of $300,000 to LandPaths, a nonprofit organization, for the interim operation and management of public access for the Willow Creek acquisition in coastal Sonoma County.
• A grant of $88,000 to the Marin Conservation Corps for rehabilitation of the Elephant Seal Overlook Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore.
• A grant of $500,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Board to acquire the 5.5-acre Lighthouse Ranch at the south end of Humboldt Bay for improved public access.
• A grant of $4,165,000 to the City of Fort Bragg to acquire approximately 35 acres of waterfront headlands on the former Georgia-Pacific mill site, Mendocino County.
• Approval of the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park Road Restoration negative declaration, and a grant of $655,000 to the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District to complete the decommissioning of 44 miles of abandoned roads in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park.
• A grant of $600,000 to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to remove and replace the existing fish ladders on the north and south forks of Caspar Creek in Mendocino County to improve fish passage throughout the watershed.
• A grant of $466,272 to the County of Humboldt to design, permit, and implement prioritized fish-passage improvement projects within the county as identified in the Five Counties Salmonid Conservation Planning Program.
• A grant of $78,000 to the County of Humboldt to design a fish-passage improvement project at Rocky Gulch and implement one fish-passage improvement at Saunder’s Creek.
• A grant of $225,000 to the Point Reyes National Seashore Association to develop a watershed enhancement plan for the Bear Valley Creek Watershed at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County.
• A grant of $135,000 to the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District for implementing projects to reduce sediment delivery to Dutch Bill Creek in western Sonoma County for the purpose of improving anadromous fish habitat.
• Amendment of the Conservancy’s December 2, 2004, authorization to disburse funds to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust by authorizing the disbursement of an additional $450,000 for acquisition of an agricultural conservation easement over the 1,125-acre Pozzi Ranch in the Walker Creek watershed in western Marin County.
• A grant of $140,000 to the Westport Village Society, Inc. to construct a beach stairway and other access improvements at the Westport Headlands in Mendocino County.
• A grant of $100,000 to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy to construct the Bourn’s Landing/Cook’s Beach and St. Orres Creek trail projects in Gualala, Mendocino County.
• A grant of $67,000 to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council to undertake the environmental review and permitting phase for construction of three trails on the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness in northern Mendocino County.
• A grant of $55,000 to the North Coast Regional Land Trust to conduct an appraisal of a conservation easement on the Price Creek Ranch in Humboldt County for acquisition under the land trust’s working lands program, “Six Rivers to the Sea.”
• Use of up to $350,000 to study the sediment deposits located behind Klamath River dams, and to obtain additional information needed to evaluate relicensing alternatives for the Klamath River Project.
• A grant of $340,000 to the County of Del Norte to undertake resource enhancement and public access projects at Point St. George.
• A grant of $196,500 to the County of Marin to fund a Marin Fish Passage Improvement Program for engineering and design of high priority fish passage improvement projects in the Woodacre and Redwood Creek watersheds.
• A grant of $433,000 to the Mattole Restoration Council for phase II Mattole River Watershed Enhancement activities.
• A grant of $270,178 to Trinity County to design, permit, and prepare for implementation additional fish-passage improvement projects within the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou and Trinity.
• A grant of $40,000 to the Sonoma Land Trust for resource enhancement plan preparation and implementation projects for the 127 acre Estero Americano Nature Preserve, in southwestern Sonoma County.
• Authorization to implement two fish-passage improvement projects at Rocky Gulch and Warren Creek within the County of Humboldt.
• A $240,000 grant to the Mendocino Land Trust to undertake a variety of site design and planning tasks necessary to develop fifteen public coastal access ways in Mendocino County and to continue its management and operation of three existing Mendocino County access ways.
• A grant of $500,000 to Save-the-Redwoods League to acquire and transfer to the Department of Parks and Recreation 1,240 acres for the purpose of expanding Montgomery Woods State Reserve and providing watershed protection and enhancement opportunities for two salmon-bearing tributaries of the South Fork Big River in Mendocino County.
• A grant of $245,000 to the Redwood Community Action Agency for preparation of final designs and environmental review documents, permits, and other work required to construct estuary enhancement, fish passage, and riparian enhancement projects at Redmond and Cochrane Creeks in the area bounded by Freshwater, Eureka and Fay Sloughs in the northern Humboldt Bay region.
• An augmentation of $105,000 to a grant earlier awarded to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy to construct the second phase of the Gualala Blufftop Trail, Mendocino County.
• A grant of $61,000 to the Table Bluff Reservation–Wiyot Tribe to establish native saltmarsh and upland vegetation at the Tuluwat village site on Indian Island in Humboldt Bay to add to the site’s wildlife habitat and improve its scenic values.
• A $1,000,000 grant to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to acquire a conservation easement on the 1,280-acre Price Creek Ranch in Humboldt County.
• A $275,000 grant to the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department for Phase II public access improvements at Windsor Riverfront Park on the Russian River.
• A $200,000 grant to the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department for public access improvements at Guerneville River Park on the Russian River.
• Amendment of its August 14, 2003, grant to Sustainable Conservation to allow $50,000 of that grant to be used for the design, permitting, and negotiation of final terms for off-stream water storage facilities for farmers adjacent to Pine Gulch Creek, a tributary to Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County.
• A $50,000 grant to Humboldt County to rehabilitate the Fairhaven ‘T’ access point on the north spit of Humboldt Bay between the communities of Samoa and Fairhaven.
• A $44,300 augmentation to a grant previously awarded to the Yurok Tribe for preparation of a management plan to preserve public access and protect cultural and natural resources on the Tsurai Village Site in Trinidad, Humboldt County. The funding will support additional cultural and environmental studies and public informational meetings.

Statewide and General

• A grant of $300,000 to PRBO Conservation Science to implement the California Current Marine Conservation Project, including establishment of a California Current Joint Venture, participation in the Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System partnership, and continued research on fish, bird and mammal populations within marine currents off the California coast.
• Three separate grants of $100,000 each to Sail San Francisco, the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, and the Maritime Museum of San Diego to plan and host Tall Ships Exposition Festivals at the Ports of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego during the summer of 2005.
• Authorization of a delegation relating to activities of the California Ocean Protection Council to carry out the Executive Officer’s duties under Section 35625 of the Public Resources Code to provide support to the Ocean Protection Council, and reservation of funds for Ocean Protection and Restoration.
• A grant of $300,000 to the Regents of the University of California, Davis Campus, Wildlife Heath Center, SeaDoc Society for removal of derelict fishing gear off the coast of California, and certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the California Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Pilot Project.
• Amendment of the Conservancy’s Conflict-of-Interest Code to add a new position to the list of designated employees who are required to file disclosure statements.
• A $150,000 grant to the Coastal Conservancy Association to plan and sponsor California and the World Ocean 2006, a conference on ocean resources to be held in Long Beach in the fall of 2006.
• Disbursements totaling $1,000,000 of tideland oil revenues authorized by the California Ocean Protection Council for ocean research grants that will be awarded by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s California Sea Grant College Program and the University of Southern California Sea Grant Program.
• A grant of $101,300 to Environmental Defense for conceptual and business planning for a statewide Sustainable Fisheries Revolving Loan Fund.
• Authorization for the Conservancy to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the California Conservation Corps for collaboration in developing the California Coastal Trail within units of the State Parks system, and authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the Department of Parks and Recreation for Coastal Trail improvements using the services of the Conservation Corps.
• Authorization for use of up to $309,000 for the production of Conservancy publications through 2006, including California Coast & Ocean magazine, program publications, and special public information and project-related documents, and including a grant to the nonprofit Coastal Conservancy Association to provide assistance in this effort.
• Authorization to transmit the “California CELCP Conservation Plan” to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration for the federal Coastal and Estuarine Lands Conservation Program and to take other steps necessary to qualify California to participate in future competitive grants opportunities.
• A $300,000 grant to Coastwalk, Inc. to provide GIS mapping of the California Coastal Trail, develop stewardship programs for trail maintenance and operation, and provide public information concerning the trail through the Internet and other means.
• A final design for the California Coastal Trail emblem, to be used statewide at all segments of the Coastal Trail.