Monthly Newsletter – California Coast and Ocean News – June
What’s Happening
June Ocean Protection Council Meeting Summary
The June Council meeting marked a major milestone in California’s effort to conserve 30 percent of coastal waters by 2030 (also known as the “30 by 30” or “30×30” initiative) and served as a launchpad for OPC’s new draft 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. OPC staff also shared key updates on federal actions and the impact on OPC’s projects and priorities, Council actions supported a new funding program for tribes to assess the impact of SLR on their tribal cultural resources, enhanced enforcement of marine protected areas (MPAs), and increased community resilience in the face of climate change. Read the summary.
California’s Marine Protected Area Network Recognized as International Gold Standard for Marine Conservation
California’s marine protected area network was officially accepted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, a high-profile international certification that recognizes the most successful examples of biodiversity conservation worldwide. Read the press release.
OPC’s Draft 2026–2030 Strategic Plan Now Available
OPC has released its Draft 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, outlining priorities for protecting California’s coast and ocean. The public comment period is open through Friday, August 1, 2025. Read the announcement.
Your Feedback Matters: Take the OPC Engagement + Partnerships Survey
OPC invites you to participate in a survey to help strengthen coast and ocean protection efforts and ensure that programs and funding opportunities are accessible, inclusive, and community-informed. Your feedback will help shape how OPC engages with communities, invests resources, and supports coastal and ocean stewardship across California. The survey is open to all through Sunday, July 20, 2025 — whether you have engaged with OPC before or are learning about it for the first time. Take the survey.
Secretary Speaker Series: Saving California’s Underwater Forests
On June 17, California Secretary for Natural Resources and OPC Chair Wade Crowfoot hosted a Secretary Speaker Series discussion on California’s magnificent, yet vulnerable kelp forests. Over 250 people from across the state tuned in to hear from underwater photographers, scientists, artists, and tribal leaders about their connections to kelp and efforts underway to protect and restore these special places. OPC Senior Biodiversity Program Manager & Tribal Liaison Mike Esgro joined the conversation to talk about the State’s ongoing work on kelp. Watch the recording.
Pride Month
Celebrate Pride Month with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and its departments! This year’s Pride Month theme is “The Power of Pride, Joy and Community,” which honors the strength found in living authentically, the joy that comes from self-expression and the deep connections found through community. Learn more about Pride Month at CNRA.
Funding Opportunities
SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program
The next submission deadline for sea level rise adaptation planning projects is Thursday, July 3, 2025. Learn more about the SB 1 Grant Program.
OPC’s Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Program is anticipated to launch mid-summer 2025. This new opportunity will support California Native American tribes in assessing and planning for sea level rise impacts on cultural resources and ancestral lands.
Request for Proposals: Advancing 30×30 in Coastal Waters
OPC is now seeking proposals for projects that will help California achieve its goal to conserve 30% of coastal waters by 2030. Applicants must submit a completed Letter of Intent (LOI) in response to this solicitation by Friday, July 18, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. Learn more about the 30×30 solicitation.
Dive In
Where Land Meets Sea: Celebrate World Ocean Week in California’s Interconnected State Parks and Marine Protected Areas
While World Ocean Week (June 1–8, 2025) may have passed, Californians can celebrate the coast and ocean year-round by visiting State Parks located next to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These special places offer opportunities to hike, tidepool, kayak, snorkel, fish responsibly, and experience marine life up close. Learn how you can explore MPAs from California’s coastal State Parks.
Project Highlight
Stinson Beach Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration Project: Community-Driven Sea Level Rise Planning
In 2021, the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) awarded Proposition 68 funds to support the Stinson Beach Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration (ARC)—a pioneering, community-led effort led by the County of Marin to prepare this vulnerable coastal area for the impacts of sea level rise. Now nearing completion in summer 2025, the ARC project uses a collaborative and sience based approach to develop specific actions the Stinson Beach community can take to protect its future in the face of the impacts of SLR.
As a final outcome of the project, the newly released Stinson Beach SLR Adaptation Study assesses what Stinson Beach needs to do to adapt to rising seas and links those needs to a range of adaptation options. These include nature-based strategies, structural defenses, and managed retreat. The plan identifies potential funding sources, recommends implementation pathways, and establishes a monitoring framework to track changes over time and adjust actions as needed. Developed through the PATCH (Plan for Adaptation to Coastal Hazards) approach, the project is rooted in inclusive engagement, with residents, NGOs, landowners, and disadvantaged community members helping to shape every step of the process.
To share these results and enhance community understanding, the County launched an engaging StoryMap that walks users through local climate threats and adaptation pathways. In addition, a powerful new video featuring immersive virtual reality by Virtual Planet allows viewers to experience the future impacts of sea level rise on Stinson Beach firsthand.
This nearly complete project will inform updates to Marin’s Local Coastal Program and serve as a replicable model for climate adaptation in coastal communities statewide—demonstrating the power of combining science, public engagement, and long-term planning to build coastal resilience.
(Click and scroll StoryMap)
Staff Spotlight
Stacy Hayden, Communications Manager
Stacy joined OPC in 2022 as the Communications Manager to lead OPC’s strategic communications and community engagement efforts. Stacy has two decades of experience as a communication entrepreneur and a communications specialist/manager with the state. She is a certified UC California Naturalist and also holds naturalist certifications from NOAA focused on the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and great white sharks. Stacy spent years volunteering as a National Park Service marine mammal docent in Point Reyes and has worked as a naturalist on great white shark diving boats and whale-watching trips. She earned a BS in Geography and a BA in Philosophy, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University in October 2019. Stacy enjoys reading, experiencing Sacramento’s art and culture, and being outdoors – especially kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking.
“One of the projects I’m most excited about right now is the development of OPC’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. From a communications perspective, it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of shaping how we share this vision for California’s coast and ocean. The plan reflects many of the values we hold dear—equity, science, resilience, and collaboration—and I see a real opportunity to engage the public in meaningful and accessible ways as we move forward. Over the next five years, I’m looking forward to developing communication and outreach strategies that foster a shared sense of purpose. My goal is to create tools and content that help our partners—and all Californians—feel equipped to take action, and know that their voices and efforts truly matter. It’s about translating policy and science into connection, and connection into collective impact.”
Photo of the Month
Have a stunning shot of California’s coast or ocean? Submit a photo to be featured as the Photo of the Month! Whether it’s a serene shoreline, vibrant marine life, or a captivating coastal sunset, share the beauty of our state’s coastline through your lens! Submit your photo.
This Month’s Photo of the Month: John Dorsey / A “By-the-Wind Sailor” (Velella velella) at El Segundo Beach
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