California is in a drought emergency. Visit
www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.
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on the CalCoast Website
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|  You have received this e-newsletter from the California Coastal Coalition (CalCoast™), a non-profit advocacy group comprised of 35 coastal cities; five counties; SANDAG, BEACON and SCAG; private sector partners and NGO's, committed to protecting and restoring California's coastline through beach sand restoration, increasing the flow of natural sediment, wetlands recovery, improved water quality, watershed management and the reduction of marine debris and plastic pollution. When possible, we try to post articles that are not protected by pay walls. |
Editor's Notes
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE CalCoast™ WAVE E-NEWSLETTER
After publishing the CalCoast™ WAVE to more than 5,000 free subscribers since 1998, we have launched a subscription model for our e-newsletter. Now, news articles in the CalCoast™ WAVE can be accessed with a low-cost monthly subscription. For private sector subscribers, the subscription rate is only $9.95/month. There are special rates for government subscribers ($7.95/month), and academia/students ($4.95/month).
After you subscribe, you will be given a 14-day free trial. Your new subscription is value-added with a brand new website, more news and information about the California Coastal Commission and other state agencies, as well as federal agencies that have jurisdiction over the coast. Of course, we will also continue to post news articles and announcements regarding local, state and federal government and politics. With a new administration in charge, you won't want to miss our coverage. It's been an interesting month so far!
All readers can still access the "Announcements," "Events" and "Employment Opportunities" sections of each CalCoast™ WAVE and on our website at no charge.
Payback Under the Dome
The chairman of a powerful state Senate committee has resigned his post - the second Democrat to lose a prominent position after voting against last month's $52-billion transportation package. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) submitted his resignation as chairman of the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. Glazer was the lone Democrat in the upper house to vote against the plan on April 6 that will raise gas taxes and impose new vehicle registration fees. Last month, Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) lost his committee chairmanship for voting against the transportation bill. Salas and Glazer were the only Democrats in the Legislature who refused to support the plan crafted by legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown.
California Beverage Container Recycling Rates Fall Below 80% - 1st Time Since 2008
Beverage container recycling rates in California have fallen below 80 percent for the first time since 2008, according to new data released last week by CalRecycle, the state's recycling agency. The reduced recycling rate means that two million additional containers are littered or landfilled every day, including more than one million plastic bottles. The agency's annual report shows that 79.8 percent of empty beverage containers were recycled in 2016, down from 81 percent in 2015. Recycling rates have equaled or exceeded 80 percent since 2009. The drop in recycling rates comes in the wake of reduced program payments for recycling operations and the closing of more than 560 recycling centers in the state in the last 15 months. In an April report to the Legislature, California's Legislative Analyst's office attributed the closures to a decline in scrap prices and "program payments that do not sufficiently cover recycler costs". [Source: Californians Against Waste]
New Definition of "Existing Structures?"
The California Coastal Act requires the Coastal Commission to grant a permit for seawalls or other shoreline protective devices when necessary to protect "existing structures" against erosion or other natural hazards. The Coastal Commission has long interpreted the "existing structure" language in Section 30235 of the Coastal Act to mean structures existing at the time a property owner applies for a seawall permit. AB 1129, which has been authored by former Coastal Commissioner Mark Stone) would redefine "existing structure" to include only structures in existence prior to January 1, 1977. According to a staff analysis of the bill, it would also expand the commission's authority to levy administrative penalties for Coastal Act violations to include unpermitted seawalls. AB 1129, which has a long list of supporters and opponents, is on the Assembly Floor and it will most likely end up in the Senate next week. You can track the bill's progress here, but we will keep everyone advised of its status.
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Grants
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| CalOES Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Immediate Needs Program
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has funding available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for mitigation projects and plans and invites state agencies and local governments to submit a Notice of Interest (NOI). The NOI period is open through June 15, 2017 for both Hazard Mitigation Plans and Projects. Application information is available here. Cal OES has also extended the deadline for Immediate Needs (known as "shovel ready" projects) applications from May 15 to June 15, 2017.Questions may be sent to HMGP@caloes.ca.gov
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Coastal Commission News  |
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| Policy & Political News |
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Drought, Water & Wetlands News
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Beach & Coastal News
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| Local Government News |
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| Climate Change & Environmental News |
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| Announcements |
Santa Monica Launches Another 1st in Stormwater Harvesting, Water Self-Sufficiency
Continuing to move toward water self-sufficiency, promote water conservation, and reduce potable water use, the City of Santa Monica will officially open the Los Amigos Park Stormwater Harvesting and Direct Use Demonstration Project, on May 23rd during National Public Works Week. The project is a collaboration with the Santa Monica-Malibu School District and MWD, and marks another first in infrastructure advancement. Los Amigos is the first retrofit project to harvest offsite wet and dry weather runoff from an adjacent, existing storm drain for multiple beneficial uses, such as restroom toilet flushing and the irrigation of athletic fields. The project was financed by a grant from MWD and the Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax (Measure V). Stormwater will be stored and treated on-site. This "new water" demonstration project brings a new water source into the system, water that would normally be sent to Santa Monica Bay either treated or untreated. For more information: www.smgov.net/losamigos. To attend opening, click here.
The Climate Trust Seeks Candidates to Fill Two Open Board of Directors Roles
The Climate Trust (The Trust), a mission-driven nonprofit that specializes in mobilizing conservation finance, is actively seeking candidates for two open seats on its Board of Directors. Professionals with a clean technology or clean energy background will be given priority for the two open seats, which are also slated for membership on The Trust's Oregon Offset Committee. Oregon residence and/or close ties to the state's business community are preferred.Qualified candidates may express their interest through The Trust's online application process. Applications submitted prior to May 31, 2017 will be given priority for the two open board seats, however, submissions for non-Oregon Offset Committee board seats will be accepted on a rolling basis for the remainder of the year.
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| Events |
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Upcoming Sea Level Rise Guidance Workshops
The California Natural Resources Agency, the Ocean Protection Council, and the Ocean Science Trust invite you to participate in a public workshop to provide input on the policy update of the State's Sea-level Rise Guidance. Our first workshop was May 16 in Los Angeles. At this workshop we shared the scientific information in the recently released report: Rising Seas in California: An update on sea-level rise science, and sought input on the draft outline and core components for the updated policy guidance.If you were unable to make this workshop, we have 3 additional workshops scheduled. More information is available here.
ARB Board Meeting Public Agenda
The public agenda is now available for the May 25, 2017, ARB Board Meeting.
NWQMC Webinar Series: Diverse Uses of Volunteer Water-Quality Data by States
There are diverse uses of volunteer monitoring data. Communities often use data on local levels to identify sites for restoration or screen sites for potential pollution. But how do states use volunteer data? How are volunteer data integrated to help answer state water quality questions? This webinar will explore state data use in Indiana, Michigan, and Virginia and the key building blocks to facilitate data use. If you are interested in data uses within California please click here and here for our latest Citizen Science & Watershed Stewardship Webinar Series. The webinar is free but pre-registration is required. Please login 10 minutes early.
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Employment Opportunities
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For more information about
positions listed here and positions listed in previous editions of the WAVE, visit CalCoast's
Employment
webpage.
Job Opening: Data Steward for Coastal and Marine Sciences
Texas A&M Corpus Christi seeks a Research Specialist I. We are organizing and documenting data to promote a culture of open data and open science in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information & Data Cooperative is a team of scientific researchers, data specialists and software developers developing and implementing a data management system to store, share and archive scientific data generated by Gulf of Mexico researchers. Click here for a full job description and to apply. Job posting number S00569PO.
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CalCoast™ publishes The CalCoast™ WAVE to more than 5,000 subscribers up and down the California coast and around the world. CalCoast
™ WAVE subscribers are from federal, state and local governments as well as NGOs, coastal consultants and academia.
We hand-curate the week's most relevant and important news articles from dozens of sources so you don't have to and then come to you every week for a small subscription fee.Each edition of the CalCoast
™ WAVE also includes important announcements from government agencies, NGOs and others, as well as information about conferences, meetings, and job openings.
We encourage readers to forward the WAVE to friends and colleagues. Please add
steveaceti@calcoast.org to your address book so the CalCoast
™ WAVE does not end up in a Junk Mail folder.
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Thank you for your interest in the CalCoast™ WAVE. We welcome your comments and any news tips, announcements, events, or job openings that may be of interest to our subscribers.
Steven Aceti, JD
Principal
Strategic Advocacy Partners
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CALIFORNIA COASTAL COALITION | www.calcoast.org
3110 Hataca Road | Carlsbad, CA 92009
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