NOAA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS ON CALIFORNIA COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

NOAA to hold public meetings on California Coastal Management Programme. Public invited to provide input on the state’s coastal management programme and performance evaluation.

Contact:

NOAA National Ocean Service Public Affairs, oceanservicepress@noaa.gov

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management will hold an in-person public meeting and two virtual public meetings to gather input for the performance evaluation of the California coastal management program. These meetings provide an important opportunity for the public and stakeholders to share new information following the previous public meeting held in August 2024.

The evaluation assesses how well California is implementing its federally approved coastal management programme under the Coastal Zone Management Act. NOAA specifically seeks input on key topics including spaceport infrastructure, offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, desalination projects and undersea cables.

“These public meetings are a key part of our transparent evaluation process,” said Tim Petty, assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere at NOAA. “We encourage all interested parties—including coastal communities, industry stakeholders, environmental organisations, local governments and Tribal nations—to participate and share their perspectives on how the California coastal management programme addresses important coastal uses and resources.”

Meeting Details

In-person public meeting date: Monday, August 10, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
Location: Pacific Ballroom, Hilton Santa Monica Hotel and Suites, 1707 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Virtual public meetings (via Adobe Connect)
Dates: Tuesday, August 11, and Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT each day

Registration and participation information

To speak at the in-person meeting, please register by emailing czma.california-evaluation@noaa.gov by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 8, 2026. Space is limited. Walk-in speakers will be accommodated as time allows, following pre-registered speakers. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes. The in-person meeting will be livestreamed (view-only); registration for the livestream is available via NOAA’s Adobe Connect platform.

To attend a virtual meeting, participants may  register online  by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 10, 2026. Space is limited to 1,000 participants per session; NOAA encourages attendees to choose one day only. Speakers will be recognised via the “raise hand” feature and allotted three minutes each. Sessions will be recorded.

Written comments may also be submitted by email to czma.california-evaluation@noaa.gov with the subject line “Comments on Performance Evaluation of the California Coastal Management Programme.” The deadline for written comments is August 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Background

California’s coastal management program is a federal-state partnership designed to balance the protection of coastal resources with sustainable economic development and public access. NOAA conducts periodic performance evaluations to ensure states are effectively implementing approved coastal management programmes.

For more information about the California coastal management programme, visit the  NOAA Office for Coastal Management.. Additional information on the public meetings can be found here

Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services, and stewardship benefit your community: Visit  noaa.gov for the latest news and features, and join them on social media.

Photo by Craig Melville on Unsplash