Longtime Defender of California Coastline Steps Down

After 34 years on the California Coastal Commission, Peter Douglas is ceding his post due to poor health. The San Jose Mercury News looks back at his long career at the powerful public agency.

1 minute read

November 1, 2011, 10:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Paul Rogers reports:

"There is still no one more closely identified with California's struggle to preserve wild stretches of coastline and ensure public access to beaches -- and nobody who has drawn more ire from developers and private land owners.

"You could probably count on one hand the number of people whose work has singularly changed the face of California. And he is one of those people," said John Laird, California's secretary of natural resources, comparing Douglas to Sierra Club founder John Muir."

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 in San Jose Mercury News

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