NOAA to hold public meetings on California Coastal Management Program

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 program 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 organizations, local governments and Tribal nations—to participate and share their perspectives on how the California coastal management program 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 recognized 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 Program.” 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 programs.

For more information about the California coastal management program, visit the NOAA Office for Coastal Management. Additional information on the public meetings can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/26/2026-12907/evaluation-of-the-california-coastal-management-program-notice-of-public-meetings-request-for.

Media Contact:
Marissa Anderson, NOS Public Affairs
oceanservicepress@noaa.gov