History of CCPN

Founded in 1999 by Susan Jordan, the California Coastal Protection Network (CCPN) focuses its non-profit advocacy on key statewide issues facing the California Coast.  CCPN has developed a successful track record for raising public awareness of coastal development and public access issues by working with local stakeholder groups throughout the coastal zone. CCPN has played a leading role in defeating controversial large scale, precedent setting coastal development projects including expanded offshore oil leasing, siting of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals, expanded commercial development at Hearst Ranch, protection and restoration of state parks at San Onofre (Toll Road) and Crystal Cove.

CCPN’s most recent project was the unanimous defeat of the proposed 50-MGD Brookfield-Poseidon Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project at the California Coastal Commission in May 2022. For more detailed information on this seawater desalination project, please visit our coalition website, read our extensive Briefing Book and view our Sea Level Rise and Coastal Hazards Simulation.

Mission

CCPN works to actively and effectively uphold the core tenets of the California Coastal Act through policy, advocacy and collaboration. We accomplish our mission by providing strong leadership to advance California’s 45-year legacy of coastal protection. We work with advocates, academics, scientists, and communities across the state to enhance California’s record of strong coastal protection under the Coastal Act by watch-dogging coastal development permits before the Coastal Commission, educating lawmakers in Sacramento, and building diverse coalitions to empower residents.

CCPN’s strategic coastal advocacy and role as a "coastal watchdog" has helped foster a growing awareness about the need to empower citizens to take ownership in their coast. CCPN works to ensure that all major controversial development proposals that come before the Coastal Commission receive thorough review and analysis for consistency with the Chapter 3 policies of the Coastal Act, that important policy advances are pursued and needed reforms are instituted, and that strong candidates for appointment to the Commission are identified.  

Further, CCPN is working to broaden the coastal advocacy movement by focused outreach and engagement with environmental justice and civil rights organizations, tribal representatives, as well as mainstream groups throughout the state, to ensure that well-informed and effective voices and viewpoints are heard on coastal policy matters that affect all Californians including lower income, inland and racially diverse communities.