California Coastal Act of 1976

This Act provides for the coastal management and protection in California. It states that the Legislature finds and declares that the basic goals of the state for the coastal zone are to: (a) Protect, maintain, and where feasible, enhance and restore the overall quality of the coastal zone environment and its natural and artificial resources; (b) Ensure orderly, balanced utilization and conservation of coastal zone resources taking into account the social and economic needs of the people of the state; (c) Maximize public access to and along the coast and maximize public recreational opportunities in the coastal zone consistent with sound resources conservation principles and constitutionally protected rights of private property owners; (d) Ensure priority for coastal-dependent and coastal-related development over other development on the coast; and (e) Encourage state and local initiatives and cooperation in preparing procedures to implement coordinated planning and development for mutually beneficial uses, including educational uses, in the coastal zone.
Among others, the Act provides for coastal resources planning and management policies; public access; recreation; marine environment; land resources; development; industrial development; sea level rise; creation, membership, and powers of commission and regional commissions; qualifications and organization; fairness and due process; powers and duties; local coastal program implementation costs; local coastal program; procedure for preparation, approval, and certification of local coastal programs; coastal public access program; development controls; development control procedures; ports; aquaculture; aquaculture products; coastal county; coastal-dependent development or use; coastal-related development; coastal development permit; coastal plan; coastal zone; map; coastal zones in Los Angeles county and area of San Juan Capistrano; inland boundaries; commission; regional commission; cumulatively; cumulative effect; development; energy facility; environmental justice; environmentally sensitive area; federal coastal act; land use plan; local coastal element; local coastal program; local government; permit; port government body; prime agricultural land; public works; sea; sensitive coastal resource areas; special district; special treatment area; state university; treatment works; wetland; and zoning ordinance.
Additionally, the Act provides for marine resources; biological productivity; waste water; oil and hazardous substance spills; diking, filling or dredging continued movement of sediment and nutrients; commercial fishing and recreational boating facilities; economic, commercial, and recreational importance of fishing; construction altering natural shoreline; water supply and flood control; environmentally sensitive habitat areas; adjacent developments; prime agricultural land; maintenance in agricultural production; agricultural lands; determination of viability of uses; economic feasibility evaluation; lands suitable for agricultural use; conversion; productivity of soils and timberlands; conversions; archaeological or paleontological resources; scenic and visual qualities; location or expansion; tanker facilities; use and design; oil and gas development; refineries or petrochemical facilities; thermal electric generating plants; protection of commercial fishing harbor space; diking, filling or dredging water areas; tanker terminals; and location, design and construction of port related developments.