Join the Environmental Justice Advisory Board for California’s Coast and Ocean – Application Period Extended to April 5, 2024

UPDATE March 18, 2024: The application deadline has been extended to Friday, April 5, 2024. This extended application period is focused on recruiting applicants from California’s North Coast and Central Coast regions, or those with statewide perspectives. Only applications meeting that criteria will be considered.

OPC is pleased to partner with Better World Group (BWG) to develop and convene an Environmental Justice Advisory Board (EJ Advisory Board) to help advise the state to better address the ocean and coastal needs of California communities. We invite community leaders representing environmental justice and tribal communities to apply for the EJ Advisory Board! The EJ Advisory Board will consist of 8 to 10 individuals who will collaboratively engage and provide valuable equity-focused insights and perspectives to support OPC’s Equity Plan and Strategic Plan priorities that affect California’s coast and ocean statewide.  

The Advisory Board’s overarching purpose is to provide equity and environmental justice expertise to inform the State of California’s work to advance equitable outcomes and partnerships with agency and community partners. This includes the following:  

1. Elevate ocean and coastal needs and priorities of tribal and environmental justice communities, to help ensure state coastal and ocean actions, including on climate change, are responsive and culturally relevant, and lead to equitable and resilient outcomes for California communities.  
2. Support evaluation and reporting efforts by sharing perspectives regarding equity indicators and metrics to measure progress towards the State of California’s goals and environmental justice outcomes. 
3. Advise on equitable grantmaking processes to help improve access to funding opportunities and provide meaningful community benefits. 
4. Strengthen networks and partnerships with community members, environmental justice leaders, advocates, community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal communities to support inclusive outreach, participation, and meaningful engagement. 

BWG has developed Frequently Asked Questions to assist interested applicants in navigating the application process. Additional questions and requests should be directed to ejadvisoryboard-app@betterworldgroup.com.

For details about the EJ Advisory Board, and the application link (hosted by Better World Group), review the information sheet. 

Background 

In October 2022, OPC adopted its first Equity Plan (Plan). The Plan was developed collaboratively with OPC staff and leadership, Better World Group, and the OPC Environmental Justice Advisory Group (EJAG). It reflects collective action by all relevant partners and contains four overarching goals focused on core areas (Engagement, Inclusive Workplace, Policy, and Science) that advance equity and justice within the State’s coastal and ocean actions to lead towards more equitable and resilient outcomes for California communities. The Equity Plan strengthens OPC’s commitment to providing support and capacity for community partners to participate in ocean and coastal conservation, decision-making, and policy, in a way that ensures state coastal and ocean actions are equitably informed by California communities and provide meaningful benefits to them. Since adoption of the Plan, OPC has continued to work closely with state agencies and other partners to implement the Plan’s ambitious goals and strategies.