Rising sea levels are a major threat to California, according to a state-funded report from the Pacific Institute, an environmental think tank. And San Mateo County could be particularly hard-hit—on the Bayside as well as the Coastside.

But some of the aesthetic beauty and recreational values associated with the California shore, one of the state’s prime natural assets, are at risk, including the famed central coastal cliffs of Big Sur. In all, 41 square miles (66 km) of coast will be lost to erosion, according to the study.

"Changes to California coasts are inevitable," Cooley said. "We need to evaluate and assess what our values are and which qualities of the coast we want to maintain."

Flood damage envisioned by the study would result from storm surges occurring with greater frequency and intensity in low-lying areas once a safe distance from the shore. Areas that already lie within an existing coastal flood plain would face even greater risk.

About 260,000 people live in flood-prone areas around San Francisco Bay and other low-lying coastal communities up and down the state. That number would grow to 480,000 if sea levels were to rise 1.4 meters (1.4 yards) without any mitigating actions being taken, the report found.

However, most of the low-lying development is on the Bayside. There are more maps on the Institute’s website.

The LA TImes writes: "The group floated several radical proposals: limit coastal development in areas at risk from sea rise; consider phased abandonment of certain areas; halt federally subsidized insurance for property likely to be inundated; and require coastal structures to be built to adapt to climate change."

Surfrider San Mateo Public Meeting

March 19, Thursday - 7:00 p.m.

Point Montara Light Station, Montara, CA

Keith Mangold, a Coastside resident of 24 years, will speak on ‘‘Corral De Tierra: A Tour of Coastside Geology, History and Ecology.’‘

Corral De Tierra has a long and interesting history beginning with the Portola expedition up to the present. Coastside geology precedes written history by at least 90 million years. Both history and geology play important roles in our local watersheds and the health of our oceans. This slideshow will present the past events that have lead to our current state and suggest opportunities for volunteers to make significant contributions to our future.

Directions to Montara Lighthouse:
25 miles south of San Francisco and 7 miles north of Half Moon Bay. The lighthouse is on Highway 1 near 16th Street, between the towns of Montara and Moss Beach.

Northbound on Highway 1, you are advised to continue past the lighthouse entrance (on your left), into the town of Montara, then turn around so you can enter the lighthouse driveway with a southbound right turn at the end of the guardrail.

Park in upper parking lot, alongside Highway 1, only please.

The California Coastal Commission has postponed consideration of the county’s revisions to its Local Coastal Program until a date and location to be determined.

The may be because the Commission’s staff had recommended so many extensive changes to the county’s plan.

You are invited to a free talk and slide show by Toni Corelli, Half Moon Bay Botanist, on Friday, May 15, 2009, 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Half Moon Bay Library.

The San Mateo County coastline is one of the most scenic and breathtakingly beautiful spots in the state. Join Half Moon Bay’s resident botanist Toni Corelli to learn about California’s remarkable native plant heritage and the best sites for wildflower viewing.

Friday, May 15, 2009, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas Street, Half Moon Bay • 650.726.2316
http://smcl.org/libraries/hmb/ • www.cnps-scv.org

Free admission • Limited seating • First come, first served

The Coastside Land Trust will hold a Francis Beach restoration event this coming Saturday, March 7, 12:30–3pm. We’ll identify native and invasive plants, discuss strategies for drought survival, and selectively remove invasive plants to help our natives thrive.

The best time to remove early spring non-native plants is before their roots are well-established and before they start to produce seeds. This Saturday, after a discussion of native and invasive plant strategies for surviving drought, we will identify non-native and native plants and selectively remove non-natives to help our natives thrive. 

Please join us; children and families always welcome. Check in at the Francis State Beach kiosk at Kelly and the Pacific Ocean, and proceed north on the maintenance road to the maintenance sheds. Our properties are on the east side of the maintenance road. Refreshments, California Poppy seeds, good humor and appreciation are provided for all ages and abilities.

Jo Chamberlain

Volunteers make a difference.  Along the San Mateo County coast, trained volunteers play a major role in protecting the Western Snowy Plover—a small shorebird that lays its eggs on the sand at a few California beaches every summer.   

The snowy plovers, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, may be found on several local beaches during the winter months.  In the spring and summer, the plovers congregate on the few beaches that can provide safe nesting sites, including Half Moon Bay State Beach—a busy recreational beach where a protected habitat is set aside for the plovers to nest.

A free, one-day training workshop for prospective Plover Watch volunteers will be offered on Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Half Moon Bay State Beach office located at 95 Kelly Avenue, in Half Moon Bay.  To register for the workshop or for more information, call Rangers Nelle Lyons or Michael Grant at (650) 726-8804, voice mailbox 7 #, or e-mail [email protected]. 

Fax Your Letter of Support by Friday March 6

After more than 6 years of local public hearings and meetings, boxfuls of written testimony from citizens, and just plain hard work on the part of countless public officials, [pdf] the California Coastal Commission will consider on March 12 whether to approve a major amendment to the Midcoast Local Coastal Program (LCP). This comprehensive planning document will shape the future of Midcoast for the next several decades.

Your help is needed to urge the Commissioners to adopt the recommended document prepared by the Commission’s professional planning staff. A sample letter that can be faxed to the full set of Commissioners for inclusion in their meeting packets can be found at the end of this article. Anyone who cares about preserving California ’s coast for future generations can and should weigh in, not just residents of the Midcoast. Please don’t wait. Fax your letter of support to 415-904-5400 before 5 pm Friday March 6.

The Coastal Commission staff’s recommendations include the following: 

• An allowable growth rate for the Midcoast of 1 percent, consistent with Half Moon Bay’s voter-approved growth limit, [pdf] which is also recommended by staff for approval at the same March 12 meeting.

• A requirement for traffic analysis and mitigation for new development (except single family homes on existing legal lots and visitor serving uses).

• A prohibition against new private residential water wells until San Mateo County develops a groundwater management plan.

• An increase in priority water service connections for failed residential water wells from 10 houses to 50 houses.

• A prohibition against new private septic systems, unless authorized by an approved groundwater management plan.

• A requirement for a coastal development permit and LCP amendment for any new desalination plants, in order to fully protect sensitive coastal resources.

• A rezoning of the Burnham Strip in El Granada to allow public parking, trails, and public restrooms with an appropriate permit.

As stated in the executive summary of the 341-page staff report:

"The [County’s proposed] LCP amendment provides an important framework for updating portions of the LCP. However, additional changes are needed to assure consistency with Coastal Act requirements…[T]he County’s proposal does not sufficiently address the significant public services issues that have arisen since original certification of the LCP in 1981, including physical changes to the environment resulting in significant adverse effects on public health and safety, coastal resources, and coastal access. These changes include significant development over the last 20 years, new water supplies, issues and constraints, including failed private wells in the urban area; systemic sewage overflows and water quality problems; and severe congestion on the major coastal access routes that is adversely impacting public access to and along the shoreline."

A sample letter follows.

The county has stated that they will still accept public comments on the Facilites Plan, although the February 20th date specified as the deadline, has passed.  Copies of the plan are available here on Coastsider, on Montara Fog, and via the county at http://www.sforoundtable.org/pdf/BigWave/project.pdf (a very long download).

If you have not already commented please don’t hesitate to do so.  Planner is Camille Leung [[email protected]]