PLF comments on Coastal Commission's sea-level rise scheme

July 13, 2015 | By J. DAVID BREEMER

For the last several years, the California Coastal Commission has been preparing a document called the Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance. This document is intended to compel local governments and the CCC itself to take into account computer projections on potential sea level rise when making decisions about coastal property in California. It encourages land use permitting agencies to adopt certain sea level rise “adaptation” strategies, such as limiting seawalls, imposing extensive conditions on any such protective devices, requiring deep building “set backs,” and removing structures away from the coast.

This last Wednesday, June 8, 2015, the CCC considered the latest draft of this policy document. PLF’s Coastal Land Rights Project was there to give the agency some feedback – from a property rights perspective.  The message? There is no sea-level rise exception to the United States Constitution, or to the property rights which it protects. A video of PLF’s comments can be found here at about 2:35:50 into the recording.