Ocean Protection Council Meeting – December 9, 2025 – Teleconference and Public Forum
OPC Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Hybrid Meeting
California Natural Resources Agency Headquarters Auditorium
715 P Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Please register to join the meeting via Zoom or by phone.
OPC is committed to ensuring our public meetings are accessible. Members of the public can participate by providing written and oral comment on Council matters. For public participation in OPC virtual meetings, view the instructions and see below.
The meeting materials will be available on this page by November 26, 2025
Agenda
1. Welcome, Introductions, and Council Member Updates
Secretary Crowfoot, Council Chair
2. Update from Executive Director
Jenn Eckerle, Executive Director
3. Update from the Science Advisor
Liz Whiteman, Ph.D., Executive Director, Ocean Science Trust
4. Action Item: Consideration and Approval of the 2026-2030 Ocean Protection Council Strategic Plan
Jenn Eckerle, Executive Director
5. Action Item: Consideration and Approval of Disbursement of Funds to the Ocean Science Trust for OPC Science Advisor
Sree Gopal, Coastal Habitats Program Manager
Advancing Strategic Plan Goal 1: Safeguard Coastal and Marine Ecosystems and Communities in the Face of Climate Change
6. Informational and Action Items Related to Sea Level Rise
(Strategic Plan Objective 1.1: Build Resiliency to Sea Level Rise, Coastal Storms, Erosion, and Flooding)
6a. Informational Item: Save the Waves Coalition: Climate Vulnerability of California’s Natural Surfing Capital
Ella McDougall, Climate Change Program Manager
Trent Hodges, Senior Programs Manager, Save the Waves Coalition
Shaun Burns, Reserves Network Coordinator, Save the Waves Coalition
6b. Action Item: Consideration and Approval of Disbursement of Funds for the Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program
Megan Williams, Coastal Resilience Program Manager
Advancing Strategic Plan Goal 2: Advance Equity Across Ocean and Coastal Policies and Actions
7. Informational Items: Progress on Advancing Equity and Tribal Engagement
(Strategic Plan Objective 2.1: Enhance Engagement with Tribes; Objective 2.2: Enhance Engagement with Underserved Communities)
7a. Informational Item: OPC Equity Plan Assessment
Maria Rodriguez, Climate and Environmental Justice Program Manager
7b. Informational Item: OPC Tribal Engagement Strategy Implementation
Hallie Brown, Biodiversity Sea Grant Fellow
Advancing Strategic Plan Goal 4: Support Ocean Health Through a Sustainable Blue Economy
8. Action Item: Consideration and Approval of Disbursement of Funds for Offshore Wind Research and Monitoring
(Strategic Plan Objective 3.4: Guide Sustainable Renewable Energy Projects)
Abby Mohan, Senior Offshore Wind Program Manager
Consent Item
9. Consent Item: Consideration and Approval of Proposition 4 Emergency Regulations
Kaitlyn Kalua, Deputy Director
Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items & Meeting Close
10. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items
11. Arrangements for Next Meeting and Adjournment
Monday, March 23, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
CNRA Auditorium and Zoom participation available.
Notes: Agenda items may be re-ordered at the discretion of the Council Chair.
Providing Public Comment:
Written Comments: Written comments should be sent to COPCpublic@resources.ca.gov by 12:00 p.m. on December 8, 2025. Please include the item number in the email subject line. If you are writing with a general comment, please include a brief title for your comment.
Oral Comments: For each item on the agenda and at the end of the public meeting on non-agenda items, the OPC Chair will ask whether there are any requests for public comment. If you are participating via Zoom and want to provide oral comments on a specific agenda item, you will need to “Raise your hand” during the Zoom meeting. *If calling into the meeting from a telephone, you can use “Pound (#) 2” to raise/ lower your hand.
Once your hand is raised and it is your turn to speak, the meeting facilitator will unmute you, announce your name, and you will be able to make your public comment to the Council. *Depending on how you have called in, you may also need to unmute yourself.
A speaker’s time allotment for a specific agenda item is at the discretion of the Chair but generally limited to two minutes. It is strongly recommended, though not required, that public comments be submitted in writing beforehand so they can be distributed to all Council members for review prior to the meeting. After your public comment, your hand will be lowered and you will be placed back on mute.
Questions about the meeting or agenda can be directed to Kaitlyn Kalua, Deputy Director, Kaitlyn.Kalua@resources.ca.gov.
Any person who has a disability and requires accommodation to participate in this council meeting should contact Ms. Kalua no later than five days prior to the meeting.