Overview

The Council was created pursuant to the California Ocean Protection Act (COPA), which was signed into law in 2004 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The OPC is guided by principles included in COPA:

• Recognizing the interconnectedness of the land and the sea, supporting sustainable uses of the coast, and ensuring the health of ecosystems
• Improving the protection, conservation, restoration, and management of coastal and ocean ecosystems through enhanced scientific understanding, including monitoring and data gathering
• Recognizing the “precautionary principle”: where the possibility of serious harm exists, lack of scientific certainty should not preclude action to prevent the harm
• Identifying the most effective and efficient use of public funds by identifying funding gaps and creating new and innovative processes for achieving success
• Making aesthetic, educational, and recreational uses of the coast and ocean a priority
• Involving the public in all aspects of OPC process through public meetings, workshops, public conferences, and other symposia