Trump administration takes aim at California Coastal Commission, again

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Set us as preferred The Trump administration has initiated a new review of the California Coastal Commission and other powerful coastal watchdogs — a move that several state leaders and environmental activists worry could undermine the state’s authority to protect its treasured coastline.U.S.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently ordered the review, calling some of the state’s efforts to regulate federal projects “environmental extremism.”“California has repeatedly and unfoundedly obstructed spaceport development,” Lutnick wrote.

He said prior evaluations have not adequately considered economics and the perspective of federal officials, particularly “concerning offshore oil production, maintenance of pipelines and desalination.” The review will be conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will examine the decades-old California Coastal Management Program, a voluntary, federal-state partnership established through the Coastal Management Act.The program provides states the ability to review, regulate and provide input on federal projects that affect their coastlines, but not broad veto power.

The California Coastal Commission, the State Coastal Conservancy and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission all implement California’s program in coordination with NOAA.Climate & Environment The Port of Long Beach aims to become an assembly hub for floating offshore wind turbines, while the state awaits a more favorable federal administration for their deployment.Such evaluations occur regularly, but this one comes shortly after the Biden administration completed its own review.

It also comes as the Trump administration pushes an agenda that could have major impacts along California’s coast, including expanded offshore drilling and increased rocket launches....