Coastal Commission staff is pleased to announce the release of the proposed final draft of the Public Trust Guiding Principles and Action Plan.

A Public Review Draft was released on June 9, 2022, followed by a 45-day public review period. A total of 61 comment letters were received, with most comments falling into categories related to: (1) State Lands Commission work and coordination, (2) California Native American Tribal consultation and coordination, (3) environmental justice, (4) the role and purpose of the Public Trust Guiding Principles & Action Plan, (5) shoreline protective devices, (6) exploration of alternatives for determining the mean high water elevation, and (7) locating the public trust boundary. A description of edits made to address these comments, as well as additional responses to common questions, concerns, and other recommendations are provided in the Staff Report below.

The proposed Final Draft of the Guidance does not fundamentally alter the content or recommendations of the prior draft. The Guidance provides information and direction on how the public trust doctrine relates to the Coastal Commission’s and local governments’ work on sea level rise planning under the Coastal Act and provides a series of guiding principles and next steps.

The Coastal Commission will hear and take possible action on the proposed final draft Guidance on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. More information on viewing and participating in Coastal Commission meetings can be found here.