The promise of the California Coastal Act—to maintain public access to the Pacific Coast—is challenged by the extreme costs of coastal property. A new plan aims to put vacations and overnight stays on the coast in reach for more Californians.
Jill Replogle reports on the "Explore the Coast Overnight" plan, released recently in its first draft assessment by the California State Coastal Conservancy. The plan is designed to make it more affordable for Californians to access the coast for overnight stays.
The draft assessment analyses "the state of lower-cost lodging along the coast, and [plots] out a path for expanding it and breaking down the barriers that keep lower-income households and communities of color from using it.
As noted by Replogle, this approach to upholding the promises of the California Coastal Act differs from the familiar stories about litigation and discretionary hearings about maintaining coastal access with hiking trails, parking, and open gates. Questions of affordability are much less frequently made public, and with unfortunate consequences. A "survey commissioned by the Coastal Conservancy found that young people, people of color, lower-income households and families with children are less likely to stay overnight at the beach," according to Replogle.
The article includes a lot of information about how to access the beach on a budget right now, thanks to the information gathered in the new draft assessment.
Read the full story: You, Cash-Strapped Californian, Are Entitled To A Beach Vacation. Here's How That Could Happen
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