Environmental groups are ringing the alarm on a federal review they say signals a “hostile federal takeover” of the California Coastal Commission (CCC).
The CCC was formed in 1972 with the aim of “protecting open space, public beach access, agricultural lands and scenic views while ensuring that new development is designed to avoid harmful impacts to coast and ocean habitats,” according to the commission’s website. The commission gives its recommendations and suggestions on coastline and ocean-impacted projects, even federally-approved projects.
While the CCC does not have voting or veto power over these projects, it can request items like environmental mitigations, tribal consultations and public hearings.
On May 20, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it would be conducting a formal review of the CCC. The request came from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, with orders to assess that California is giving “priority consideration” to facilities related to national defense, energy, ports and transportation.
The letter also advises the NOAA to assess whether the State is giving proper consideration to “compatible economic development” and “the views of relevant federal agencies.”
“The news traveled very fast. It was like a fire alarm went off,” said Mitch Silverstein, California policy senior coordinator with the Surfrider Foundation. “Everyone who protects the coast knew about it … We saw this as a hostile federal takeover.”
It’s routine for the NOAA to review the CCC every five to 10 years, but its last review took place in 2024, with a completed draft in June 2025. However, a final report was never published, which Silverstein suspects was due to the change in presidential administrations. According to the California Natural Resources Agency, the commission was found to be successfully implementing its program in the June 2025 draft review.
If the CCC is found to be failing at its job, it can be decertified and defunded, removing some of California’s essential environmental guardrails.
The shock of another review, which has been called “abrupt” and “unprecedented” by environmental groups, was underscored by the mention of specific developments being examined as part of the review, including:
- Offshore oil production
- Spaceport infrastructure
- Pipeline maintenance
- Desalination projects
- Undersea cables
The California Coastal Commission has approved 96% of federal and federally-regulated projects since its inception — a rate that exceeds the roughly 95% approval rate of the other 34 states’ coastal commissions.
For spaceport infrastructure, the commission has found nonconcurrence with two out of over 135 projects related to space launch activity. In both cases, the projects progressed anyway. It has also approved every undersea cable project and pipeline maintenance request, and has only denied one desalination project, according to the California Natural Resources Agency.
“Any accusations that environmental extremism is thwarting economic development on our coast are completely ungrounded because our numbers speak for themselves,” Silverstein said. “This is clearly about certain people and industries, like the oil industry with deep pockets.”
According to a 2022 NOAA report, California’s fishing industry generated over $31.2 billion in sales and over $6.6 billion in income for fishers. In 2021, California’s marine economy employed over 511,000 people and generated $51.3 billion in gross domestic product, according to a 2023 NOAA report.
The goal of the review, environmental groups fear, is a rapid push towards oil drilling. As California has solidified its position in moving away from crude oil production and towards more renewable energy sources, the current administration has made strides to keep the oil industry pumping.
In November 2025, the administration announced they would allow oil drilling by California’s coasts with the approval of six leases between 2027 and 2030. They approved more leases off the coasts of Florida and Alaska, shirking concerns about oil spills that ended oil drilling in these areas in 1995. In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would use “every tool at our disposal” to prevent these leases from occurring.
Now, one of those tools is at risk.
The National Resource Defense Council’s (NRDC) Director of Ocean Energy, Taryn Kiekow Heimer, recalled feeling “utter horror” when her organization first heard about the review. The NRDC is an environmental advocacy group that focuses on legal action that fights for clean air, clean water and healthy communities, according to its website.
“Personally, I think it’s a reflection of President Trump’s pledge to oil companies to deliver on oil and gas, and California is a state that’s decided that new oil and gas activities are not compatible with our coastal future,” Heimer said. “I fear that this is a preordained political process and whatever NOAA issues is going to start a process to decertify California’s power to protect its coast.”
The NRDC and Surfrider Foundation joined dozens of other environmental groups at public hearings hosted by the NOAA on Aug. 10 and 11 to urge the administration to conduct a fair review. Heimer said every single person who spoke was there in support of the CCC.
She added that the other 34 states with coastal commissions should be taking note of what happens next.
“If the Trump administration can do this to California, which has an undeniably robust coastal economy … They can do it to any state,” she said. “The whole basis of the Coastal Management Act is federal and state cooperation. If that is turned on its head, then every state should be nervous.”
The NOAA has until Dec. 10 to publish its formal review of the CCC. If the commission fails its review, it will have a chance to make the necessary changes to fix the mistakes that are laid out to avoid decertification.
Heimer said this is just the beginning of the process, and encouraged residents to stay informed and to contact Newsom’s office to urge him to defend California.
Residents can send a letter to Newsom’s office at:
Governor Gavin Newsom
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
His office can also be reached via phone at 916-445-2841 or through this online form.
