Trump administration launches federal review of California Coastal Commission

The Trump administration has launched a federal review of California’s Coastal Management Program, including the role of the California Coastal Commission in overseeing the state’s coastline.

The review comes amid escalating tensions over the state’s permitting decisions for projects along the coast.

The U.S. Department of Commerce directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate California’s Coastal Management Program under the Coastal Zone Management Act.

In a letter sent in May to the White House National Economic Council, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called for a “new review” of California’s compliance with the federal law.

Lutnick argues the state has interfered with federal priorities by blocking or delaying projects involving spaceport development, offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, and other economic and energy initiatives.

The letter was also posted on X, where Lutnick wrote that policies delaying “critical national infrastructure in the name of environmental extremism are unacceptable.”

The review will also examine California’s handling of desalination projects, which convert seawater into drinking water, as well as undersea cables and other coastal infrastructure.

The review does not mean the California Coastal Commission has violated federal law. It is the beginning of a formal evaluation process that could ultimately result in recommendations, changes to federal funding, or other actions if California is found out of compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Jim Suty, president of Friends of Oceano Dunes, welcomed the federal review.

“We are extremely tickled by this and all of California should be,” Suty said. “The California Coastal Act…from where it originated as legislation that the voters voted on in 1975 to where it is today is far, far reach.”

Suty, whose organization has long advocated for continued public access and recreation at Oceano Dunes, said he believes the Coastal Commission has expanded its authority beyond its original intent.

He shares a common ground on the issue on how environmental policies impact land use and access along the central coast.

“The Coastal Commission has taken their power and authority far too far,” Sutty said, pointing to issues such as desalination projects and overlapping oversight between California State Parks and the Coastal Commission.

Suty said, “We have them, you know, stopping desalination plants. Why on God’s green earth should we be a drought when we live next to an ocean where we can get desalination. So, why are we stopping desalination plants? Why do we not allow dams to collect rainwater to help our farmers grow? Why do we have two parties, two legislative groups, California State Parks and California Coastal Commission, overseeing the same property?”

FOX26 reached out to the California Coastal Commission for comment. The commission referred us to the California Secretary for Natural Resources.

As part of FOX26’s Accountability Question, we asked:

“Critics argue the Coastal Commission has become more focused on restricting access and development than balancing public use with environmental protection. How do you respond to concerns that the Commission has moved beyond the mission voters intended when they created it?”

California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot responded with the following statement:

“For decades, coastal states and the federal government have worked together to effectively manage our coastlines, advancing federal and state priorities while giving local communities a critical voice in decision-making. Now, the Trump administration is launching a new attack on that collaborative relationship—just as the federal government is already working to open California’s coast to new offshore drilling. Our $51 billion coastal economy serves as a powerful engine for the state’s prosperity, and the people of our state must keep a seat at the table to protect it.”

FOX26 also reached out to NOAA for comment but had not received a response.

As part of the evaluation, NOAA will hold two virtual public meetings on August 11 and August 12 to gather public input on California’s Coastal Management Program.

The agency is seeking comments from stakeholders on issues including spaceport infrastructure, offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, desalination projects, and undersea cables.

Registration is required, and attendance is limited to 1,000 participants for each meeting.