About the Council

Mission of the Ocean Protection Council

The OPC will ensure that California maintains healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and coastal ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations.

California Ocean Protection Council membership

John Laird Secretary for Natural Resources, Council Chair

John Chiang State Controller

Matt Rodriquez Secretary for Environmental Protection

Fran Pavley Senator

Toni Atkins State Assembly

Geraldine Knatz Public Member

Susan Golding Public Member

Council Guiding Principles and Responsibilities

The Council was created pursuant to the California Ocean Protection Act (COPA), which was signed into law in 2004 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The OPC is guided by principles included in COPA:

• Recognizing the interconnectedness of the land and the sea, supporting sustainable uses of the coast, and ensuring the health of ecosystems
• Improving the protection, conservation, restoration, and management of coastal and ocean ecosystems through enhanced scientific understanding, including monitoring and data gathering
• Recognizing the “precautionary principle”: where the possibility of serious harm exists, lack of scientific certainty should not preclude action to prevent the harm
• Identifying the most effective and efficient use of public funds by identifying funding gaps and creating new and innovative processes for achieving success
• Making aesthetic, educational, and recreational uses of the coast and ocean a priority
• Involving the public in all aspects of OPC process through public meetings, workshops, public conferences, and other symposia

The council is tasked with the following responsibilities:

• Coordinate activities of ocean-related state agencies to improve the effectiveness of state efforts to protect ocean resources within existing fiscal limitations
• Establish policies to coordinate the collection and sharing of scientific data related to coast and ocean resources between agencies
• Identify and recommend to the Legislature changes in law
• Identify and recommend changes in federal law and policy to the Governor and Legislature

2009-2010 Priorities

Priorities of the OPC are outlined in A Vision for Our Ocean and Coast: Five-Year Strategic Plan. For the upcoming years, more specific guidance is given in the 2009-2010 OPC priorities document. The priorities are focused around six areas of interest, including: governance, research and mapping, ocean and coastal water quality, physical processes and habitat structure, ocean and coastal ecosystems, and education and outreach.