Updates

The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast (BAPPC) joined business, environmental, tribal, and community leaders in opposition to the Trump administration’s review of California’s coastal management authority, warning that weakening state oversight could put the region’s coastal economy at risk. The review could ultimately affect California’s ability to review and challenge federal projects such as offshore oil drilling, desalination facilities, rocket launches, and other industrial development proposed along the coast.

Speaking on behalf of BAPPC at a recent NOAA hearing in Santa Monica, founder Grant Bixby emphasized that California’s coast is one of the state's most valuable economic assets. He noted that the coastal economy generates an estimated $44–50 billion annually, while offshore oil production represents only a small fraction of that activity. Grant questioned whether it makes sense to risk tourism, recreation, hospitality, real estate, and thousands of coastal jobs to benefit a single industry.

Drawing on firsthand experience from the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill, Grant described how businesses, beaches, and local communities were impacted when visitors stayed away and economic activity stalled. His remarks reflected BAPPC’s core belief that a healthy coast is not only an environmental priority but also a business imperative. Clean beaches, public access, recreation, and thriving coastal communities support businesses across California, Oregon, and Washington.

BAPPC joins a broad coalition advocating for continued state and local involvement in coastal decision-making. As federal officials consider the future of California’s coastal management program, BAPPC maintains that protecting the Pacific Coast protects the businesses, jobs, and communities that depend on it.

Grant was quoted in LAist who covered the meeting: 

"Orange County resident Grant Bixby, who founded the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast, pointed out at the news conference that offshore drilling makes up a tiny fraction of the state’s coastal economy, which generates between $44 billion and $50 billion a year, according to NOAA.

"Should we put 99% of the other employment at risk for the benefit of one dirty industry?” Bixby said.

Bixby recalled how the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill turned the beaches into a “ghost town.”

Read more about the hearing here: https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/trump-review-california-coastal-authority