The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) was created in 2004 to help protect, conserve, and maintain healthy coastal and ocean ecosystems and the economies they support. The OPC works with diverse interests and provides the leadership needed to meet the accelerating and complex challenges of our time as set forth in the California Ocean Protection Act
The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is pleased to announce the release of the Proposition 68 (Prop 68) Draft Grant Guidelines. Funds from Prop 68 will be used to support the priorities of all of the OPC’s program areas for the next several years. The Draft Grant Guidelines provide an overview of the purpose of Prop 68 funds, which projects and applicants will be eligible to receive funds, the OPC’s competitive and discretionary grant programs, proposed scoring criteria to assess projects, and requirements for future grantees. The comment period closed on February 28, 2019. OPC staff is now reviewing comments and revising the guidelines, and anticipates releasing the revised guidelines in late April or early May 2019. The most up-to-date information on the Prop 68 Grant Guidelines, including webinar slides, is available on the Prop 68 webpage.
Questions about the Prop 68 Grant Guidelines may be submitted to Prop68@resources.ca.gov.
The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is hiring two Senior Environmental Scientists to help lead its Climate Change and Marine Protected Areas Programs. OPC is a state entity that works to (1) coordinate activities among ocean-related state agencies to improve the effectiveness of state efforts to protect ocean resources, (2) establish policies to coordinate the collection and sharing of scientific data related to coastal and ocean resources between agencies, (3) identify and recommend changes in state and federal law and policy to the Governor and Legislature, and (4) allocate and execute delegated bond funds and other designated funds in a manner that is transparent and in line with OPC’s priorities.
For more information about the Climate Change position, click here.
For more information about the Marine Protected Areas position, click here.
At its October 25, 2018 meeting, the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) unanimously approved 24 research projects totaling $6 million in funding through the Proposition 84 Competitive Grants Program. The projects support state priorities focused on stewardship and management of California’s ocean and coastal resources in the areas of: ocean acidification and hypoxia; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; sea-level rise adaptation and coastal resilience; coastal sediment management; marine pollution; and marine renewable energy.
The research projects were selected through a competitive process based on criteria developed by OPC in alignment with its mission and priorities. California Sea Grant and the University of Southern California Sea Grant facilitated the review panel process and will administer project grants on behalf of OPC. California Sea Grant is administering 12 of the 24 projects in the areas of ocean acidification and hypoxia, and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. University of Southern California Sea Grant is administering the remaining 12 projects in the areas of sea-level rise adaptation and coastal resilience, coastal sediment management, marine pollution, and marine renewable energy. Details and links to project descriptions can be viewed HERE.
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