When it comes to managing its coast, California is far ahead of other states in preparing for climate change, at least one environmental advocacy group says.
The Surfrider Foundation’s annual State of the Beach report was released Monday, Jan. 29, giving California communities and leaders high marks for their efforts. The foundation considers 67% of coastal states – or 22 of them – as needing improvement in their responses to sea level rise. Those states are managing their shorelines at only adequate to poor levels, according to the San Clemente-based nonprofit.
“This report is important particularly in the face of extreme weather events and climate change – as we continue to see these events on the regular, we really need to get proactive and plan ahead,” said Surfrider’s Coastal Preservation Manager Stefanie Sekich-Quinn. “That’s the thrust of it, at the end of the day.”
California is one of the nation’s leaders, according to the nonprofit, earning an A grade for its efforts as the state grapples with a rising sea and erosion that has kept coastal managers busy in recent years. But still, the Golden State has areas where improvement is needed as climate change impacts become more prevalent, the foundation’s report warns.
The report graded 30 coastal and Great Lake states, as well as Puerto Rico, on policies used to protect the nation’s beaches. California is among 11 states that earned either an A or B grade based on criteria judging their job protecting their beaches.
The 22 states and territories that earned a C grade or less tend to have less stringent policies regarding development in hazardous coastal zones, ineffective or nonexistent prohibitions on coastal armoring, poor sediment management and lack sea level rise policies, according to the Surfrider Foundation. The states often lack effective implementation of existing laws and policies, and even if they pass legislation, agencies are often not implementing the laws, it…
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