V-77 



CALIFORNIA 



The State of California represents a western coastal State that is 

 hiqhly urban/highly industrial/low rural/highly developed (population, 

 about 19,000,000). It has an extensive, tidal coastline (about 3,400 

 miles) that is used for a broad range of purposes and has encountered 

 a wide range of coastal problems including actual coastal filling 

 as in San Francisco Bay, 



In general, California has title to all submerged lands, tidelands, 

 and swamplands within its borders and can sell the tidelands and 

 swamplands. 



Estuarine management responsibilities in the State seem to be 



focused in the State of California's Resources Agency. This agency 



has the primary responsibility for managing the ocean resources of 



the State; it has advisory, planning, research, development, coordination, 



and policing functions. The agency and its component departments 



(as shown in Figure V.2.5) have been assigned specific responsibilities 



by the legislature for various elements of the resource. A second 



State department involved in estuarine management is the Department 



of Public Health. This department is responsible for protection of 



shellfish beds against contamination and for the health and safety 



of ocean water -- contact-sport areas. 



Special marine oriented groups in the State government include the 

 Interagency Council on Ocean Resources, California Advisory Conwlsslon 



