Outdoors for All: Connecting Californians to the Coast and Ocean

In February 2026, people from across California gathered at the California Natural Resources Agency headquarters for the Outdoors for All Convening. The day focused on shared learning and collaboration to expand equitable access to the outdoors. Participants included community-based organizations, tribal partners, advocates, practitioners, and state staff working to support outdoor spaces where every Californian feels welcome and able to participate.

The convening opened with a keynote from Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s First Partner, who shared a personal story about how time outdoors provided a sense of safety, grounding, and connection. Her remarks highlighted the outdoors as a refuge and a source of well-being, particularly for young people and communities facing challenges.

The Outdoors for All initiative, led by the California Natural Resources Agency, recognizes that access to nature supports physical and mental health, strengthens communities, and builds stewardship. While the initiative spans California’s diverse landscapes, the state’s coastline is a key place where these goals come to life, offering opportunities for recreation, cultural connection, learning, and climate resilience for communities across California.

The power of connecting people to nature.

The Coast and Ocean Belong to Everyone

California’s coast belongs to everyone. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, which affirmed the public’s right to access and enjoy the coast and established a lasting commitment to protecting coastal resources for future generations. That principle echoed throughout the convening in discussions that centered on belonging, co-creation with communities, and protecting outdoor access amid changing environmental and policy conditions.

For many Californians, meaningful access to the coast is still limited by barriers such as distance, cost, transportation, accessibility, cultural relevance, and safety. Outdoors for All recognizes that access is about more than physical entry. It also includes whether people feel a sense of belonging, feel welcome, and can authentically engage with the outdoors in ways that reflect their communities’ values and lived experiences. These ideas are shaping how California approaches coast and ocean protection, with a stronger focus on equity, community stewardship, partnership, and shared benefits.

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) is honored to connect people and their communities to California’s coast and ocean through multiple programs:

Partnering with Communities and Tribes

OPC’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, Safeguarding Our Coast and Ocean for All Californians, is informed by OPC’s Equity Plan and Tribal Engagement Strategy and reflects a statewide shift toward centering equity, community stewardship and partnership, and meaningful benefits for California Native American tribes and communities. Together, these frameworks guide how OPC works with communities and tribes to reduce barriers to access, support participation, and advance community-led stewardship.

OPC puts this approach into practice through targeted investments that support education, stewardship, and cultural engagement along the coast and ocean. This includes awarding 24 local projects through OPC’s inaugural Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, in partnership with Justice Outside, and funding tribal and environmental justice small grants through the WHALE TAIL® Grants Program, which supports community-scale projects focused on coastal and ocean education, stewardship, cultural practices, and outdoor experiences. OPC also supports tribal-led efforts such as the Tribal Marine Stewardship Network, which strengthens tribal capacity and leadership in caring for coastal and marine resources.

By prioritizing community-driven projects and tribal partnerships, these investments help make state funding more accessible while supporting long-term stewardship and connection to place.

Responding to the Effects of Climate Change on Public Access

OPC also supports research and partnerships that examine how climate change affects coastal recreation and access. With OPC funding, Save The Waves Coalition completed a report, Climate Vulnerability of California’s Natural Surfing Capital, which examines the climate vulnerability of surf breaks in Santa Cruz. The project assessed how sea level rise and shoreline adaptation strategies could affect surf quality, recreation, and the local economy, while also centering equity and access through a partnership with Black Surf Santa Cruz.

The findings show how climate adaptation choices shape outdoor recreation, cultural identity, and who can access and benefit from coastal spaces. They also highlight how nature-based approaches can help sustain both coastal ecosystems and community access over time.

Building Pathways to Coast and Ocean Careers

Expanding equitable access to the outdoors also includes creating pathways into careers that care for these places. OPC has supported the establishment of a pilot Ocean Corps Program in partnership with the California Conservation Corps. The program provides paid, hands-on opportunities for young adults to contribute to coastal resilience, habitat restoration, and stewardship projects while gaining experience and training that support long-term career pathways in natural resources in three communities across the state.

OPC also encourages workforce development and early career opportunities through multiple funding opportunities, including by embedding these opportunities in OPC-funded research.

OPC will continue offering early career opportunities through its Summer Internship Program (applications open through March 5, 2026). Together, these efforts help build a workforce that reflects California’s diversity and strengthens the future of coastal and ocean stewardship.

Looking Ahead

As California continues to advance the Outdoors for All Initiative, OPC remains committed to ensuring the coast and ocean are central to this work. Through strategic planning, partnerships, and targeted investments, OPC is working to protect coastal and marine ecosystems while expanding opportunities for Californians to connect with, care for, and benefit from the coast and ocean.

Fifty years after the Coastal Act affirmed that the coast belongs to all of us, Outdoors for All offers a renewed opportunity to ensure that access, belonging, and stewardship remain at the heart of California’s coastal future.