Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) Grants to California

CIAP will provide $250 million in grants annually, from 2007-2010, to six states – Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, California, Mississippi, and Texas – whose eligibility is predicated on Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities off their shores.  CIAP funding for California is $7.4 million for each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008, and $4.9 million for each of the fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

As of April 25, 2011, the following California grants have been funded through CIAP:

• $120,000 to California Natural Resources Agency funded the planning of the California and the World Ocean 2010 Conference, held in San Francisco September 7-10, 2010.
• $35,477 to Solano County will fund planning tasks required to restore wetlands and make spillway improvements at the Lynch Reservoir, Lynch Canyon Open Space.
• $164,216 to Santa Cruz County will fund the replacement or retrofit of two culverts to improve fish passage.
• $25,000 grant to San Luis Obispo County will fund the removal of invasive plants and restore parts of the Elfin Forest Preserve, which is adjacent to the Morro Bay Estuary and Morro Bay State Park.  
• $700,000 grant to California State Lands Commission will fund the removal of hazards along the coastline of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
• $161,818 to San Diego County will fund regional beach sand planning to prepare for replenishing sand in the region’s eroding beaches.
• $913,992 grant for coastal restoration at Will Rogers State Beach in Los Angeles County. Construction of a new sea wall will protect against erosion along the coastal bluff and will stabilize Pacific Coast Highway, a critical coastal road.
• $31,866 additional grant funds to San Luis Obispo County. Amendment to original grant award to provide planning and assistance to administer the Coastal Impact Assistance Program.
• $20,000 grant to fund invasive species removal in San Luis Obispo County. This project will help restore areas of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, a 22,000 acre dune complex, which is one of the largest dune systems on the west coast.
• $11,175 grant to monitor Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in Napa County. The data will support effective management, conservation, and protection of sensitive coastal resources.
• $589,174 grant to update the Local Coastal Program in Ventura County. This update is a critical step to ensure consistent application of coastal regulations and enforcement of zoning laws, which includes regulations to implement stormwater management, water conservation, and climate change goals.
• $150,000 grant to the California for coastal dune restoration at Morro Dunes Natural Preserve located within Montaña de Oro State Park. Park officials will control several invasive plant species over a 500 acre area that will help preserve the highly productive coastal dune scrub, where portions of the area are listed as “Critical Habitat” for threatened and endangered species.
• $772,000 grant to California Department of Parks and Recreation to fund the treatment and management of unpaved roads that are causing erosion and sedimentation problems within coastal parks.
• $1,410,000 grant to California State Coastal Conservancy to create a comprehensive coastal/marine geologic and habitat base map series for all state waters. Accurate statewide mapping of seafloor substrates, marine habitat types and bathymetry (underwater topography) of California’s coastal and nearshore waters is a crucial component necessary to guide multiple ocean management decisions.
• $700,000 grant to California Department of Boating and Waterways for coastal regional sediment management plans that are intended to formulate regional consensus-driven sediment management policy and guidance in order to restore, preserve and maintain coastal beaches and other critical areas of sediment deficit.  
• $99,998 to fund aSanta Barbara County pilot program to reduce water pollution from businesses in coastal areas. The proposed program will include multiple approaches to business education and outreach on storm water pollution prevention. 
• $118,981 to San Luis Obispo County to develop a restoration plan for the Pismo Creek estuary. The plan emphasizes protecting water quality and quantity; flood management; erosion control; and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat through voluntary and collaborative measures; community education; outreach; and restoration projects.
• $311,483 to San Luis Obispo County to complete a regional multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the coastal community of Los Osos, located.  The Los Osos HCP will be a community-wide endangered species protection program that will balance the preservation of threatened and endangered species and sensitive habitat with planned development in Los Osos.
• $94,000 additional grant funds to California Department of Parks and Recreation. Amendment to original grant award to facilitate the Department’s implementation of the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), which provides for the conservation of marine populations and protection of marine habitats along the California coast.
• $525,000 to the California Coastal Commission to fund a four year project to review and enhance the state’s coastal water quality program. This project will result in the creation and distribution of updated coastal planning resource materials and the creation of outreach materials for the purposes of supporting local governments and educating the public about coastal planning and regulatory efforts by the California Coastal Commission and local coastal governments. 
• $795,000 to California Natural Resources Agency to fund a project to further develop and implement a standardized set of assessment and monitoring tools for managing the health of California wetlands and riparian areas.  Tools will include the statewide California Rapid Assessment Method, integrated online GIS data sets and statewide wetlands and riparian survey inventories.
• $155,798 to Marin County to fund a comprehensive update to the Marin County Local Coastal Program to carry out the policies of the California Coastal Act.
• $212,000 grant to California Coastal Conservancy, a State agency, will fund the Santa Cruz Marine Debris Reduction Program, a locally-based pilot program to engage citizens, businesses, and government in the prevention and reduction of marine debris.
• $12,000 grant to Santa Barbara County to support the Creekside Resident Water Pollution Education Project, a multi-pronged public awareness campaign that informs the public about the relationship of the local watershed to the ocean and outlines measures the public can take to prevent pollutants from entering the watershed.
• $94,000 grant to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to facilitate the Department’s implementation of the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), which provides for the conservation of marine populations and protection of marine habitats along the California coast.
• $950,000 grant to the California Coastal Conservancy to continue removal of invasive, non-native plants in the San Francisco Bay estuary and to develop a similar eradication plan for estuaries in the Humboldt Bay region.
• $2.2 million grant to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for upgrades to existing patrol boats and purchase of new vessels used to enforce marine laws, investigate fish and wildlife violations, respond to marine environmental incidents, and assist with marine research operations.
• $119,500 grant to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to remove approximately 5 acres of invasive weeds and reduce erosion associated with volunteer foot trails.
• $102,402 grant to San Luis Obispo County to provide planning and assistance to administer the Coastal Impact Assistance Program grants.
• $225,000 grant to the California Natural Resources Agency to facilitate the overall coordination and management of projects for the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health (WCGA).
• $468,397 grant to the California Coastal Commission to complete a set of detailed maps of California’s 1,100-mile-long coastline and state waters for publication and distribution and to support the California Coastal Commission’s core planning and regulatory programs.
• $251,035 grant to Ventura County will fund the development of guidelines that will identify significant coastal biological resources and enable the County to develop and consistently apply mitigation strategies in their coastal watersheds.
• $72,000 grant to Santa Barbara County will fund a broad-based education program in English and Spanish addressing water quality impacts to beachside communities.
• $50,000 grant to Santa Barbara County will fund a public opinion survey to determine the effectiveness of the County’s water quality outreach program and identify where they should focus their education efforts to achieve maximum impact in the community.
• $995,000 grant to California Ocean Science Trust, established under the California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act of 2000, will fund the facilitation of partnerships between scientists, managers, and policy makers to form a bridge where science can inform and improve coastal ocean policy, management, and decision making.

For more information on this program, see CIAP Program Overview.