OPC Adopts Strategic Plan to Safeguard California’s Coast and Ocean Through the End of the Decade  

At the December 9, 2025 meeting, the Ocean Protection Council approved its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan: Safeguarding Our Coast and Ocean for All Californians, an ambitious blueprint that will guide the Council’s investments and priorities through the end of this decade. Building on OPC’s previous Strategic Plan and foundational advancements made during the Newsom Administration, this Plan clearly reflects what OPC heard in public meetings and tribal consultations across the state as it worked to develop the Plan over the last year—a call for healthy oceans, resilient coastal communities, a commitment to science, and a future where people and nature thrive together.

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Advancing Equity Along California’s Coast and Ocean 

In 2022, the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) adopted its first-ever Equity Plan, establishing a framework to expand access, participation, and community benefits across California’s coast and ocean policies and programs. At the December meeting, OPC released its first Equity Plan Assessment, summarizing progress to date and priorities ahead for advancing equity, environmental justice, and collaboration with California communities and California Native American tribes.

The Equity Plan is guided by four interconnected goals that shape how OPC approaches community engagement, workforce development, policy design, and science, with an emphasis on community-led solutions, inclusive participation, and decision-making informed by diverse knowledge systems: 

• Goal 1 – Equitable Engagement, Outreach, and Funding 
• Goal 2 – Building an Inclusive Workplace and Workforce 
• Goal 3 – Designing Equitable Coastal and Ocean Policy Making 
• Goal 4 – Integrating Equity in Coastal and Ocean Science and Research  

Examples of this work include OPC’s investments in tribally-led and community-informed science, such as support for the Tribal Marine Stewards Network, as well as funding for habitat restoration, workforce pathways, and community-based stewardship.  

Between 2022 and 2024, OPC administered approximately $100 million in grants across its strategic goals. Nearly 45 percent of those funds supported projects with direct benefits to California Native American tribes, environmental justice communities, and other priority populations, helping reduce barriers to funding and expand access to state resources. 

Developed collaboratively with partners and advisors, the Assessment marks an important milestone in OPC’s work to expand community benefits. Looking ahead, OPC will continue strengthening accountability and aligning priorities with its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan to support a healthy, resilient coast and ocean for all Californians. 

Fiona Vogler, Executive Fellow 

Fiona (she/her) joined OPC as the 2025 Capital Fellows Executive Fellow. She earned her B.A. in Geography and Political Economy from UC Berkeley, where she studied applications of innovation in conservation with the Fung Fellowship and supported the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s legislative affairs office as a UC Berkeley Cal-in-Sac Fellow. After teaching English in Madrid, Spain for two years, she returned to Sacramento to continue supporting sustainable, equitable, and environmentally just climate adaptation and resilience efforts. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, traveling, watching movies with friends, and learning salsa.  

“As the current Executive Fellow, I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the breadth and impact of OPC’s work. From supporting microplastic monitoring and mitigation to elevating California’s leadership in marine conservation on the global stage, OPC is tackling urgent challenges with creativity and resolve. Coming from an interdisciplinary social science background, I am particularly excited about OPC’s convening of the Social Science Working Group to inform and advance future monitoring of California’s landmark marine protected area (MPA) network. The group brings social science expertise into ocean and coastal management by exploring human connections with marine environments and uplifting tribal knowledge systems. By deepening understanding of how communities value and interact with marine systems and leveraging those different relationships, OPC can develop stronger, more equitable ways of safeguarding the health and resilience of our coast and ocean and the communities connected to it. I look forward to continuing to learn from OPC’s efforts throughout my fellowship and beyond.”