Commentary: Californians rallied to save the coast 50 years ago. Trump is spoiling the celebration

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Set us as preferred A guy who owns a beach resort on the coast of Florida, where hundreds of miles of overdeveloped shores are threatened by increasingly severe storms driven by global warming, is trying to tell Californians how best to manage our coast.Guess who.It’s not that we needed the help.If there’s any thought to adding an eighth wonder of the world to the current lineup of seven, I’d nominate the 1,100-mile treasure that kisses Oregon on one end and Mexico on the other.

And it’s not by accident that coastal habitats are aggressively protected and most of the shoreline is free of mega resorts and architectural clutter.A half century ago, Californians rose up against the threat of over-development.By the will of the people, the coast was enshrined in state law as a precious public asset accessible to the many, not a private playground fenced off for the few.This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Coastal Act, and just as we begin the party, President Trump and his minions are scheming to pump some crude oil into the punch bowl.And here’s how:Going back to the 1970s, under the Coastal Zone Management Act, California has gotten high marks from the feds for the way in which its coastal regulatory agencies work with D.C.

to manage federal projects.But now the state is under attack, which could mean that millions in federal dollars will be clawed back and the state’s voice muted.So what horrible sins have we committed?Sit down and take a deep breath.We’re being accused of “environmental extremism.” California It’s just been far too many years of paying attention to water quality and vehicle and industrial emissions and all the rest.

Imagine how that comes across to a president who wouldn’t admit to climate change if his putter melted in his hands or Mar-a-Lago became a swim-up hotel.As penance fo...