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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Steven Aceti, JD - California Coastal Coalition
(760) 612-3564
Reinhard Flick, PhD - Scripps Institution of
Oceanography/UCSD (858) 534-3234
COASTAL GROUPS HOLD ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS
WAYS TO IMPROVE BEACHES, WETLANDS AND WATER QUALITY IN CA
San Diego, CA - This Thursday through Saturday, more than 200
elected officials, scientists, coastal engineers and
environmentalists will meet in San Diego to hear presentations on
the science, policy and funding of coastal restoration projects and
studies in California. The conference is being co-organized by the
California Coastal Coalition (CalCoast) and the California Shore and
Beach Preservation Association (CSBPA).
Sponsors include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, L.A. District,
California Coastal Commission, CA Department of Boating and
Waterways, CA State Coastal Conservancy, CA State Lands Commission,
Scripps Institution of Oceanography and USC Sea Grant.
Keynote speakers will include former Assembly Budget Chair Denise
Moreno Ducheny and COL. Richard G.
Thompson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A lively debate on the
pro's and con's of seawalls and other coastal structures
will take place during the Saturday session of the conference.
Awards to be given out at this year's conference include the
following:
1. "Coastal Achievement Award 2001"
Recipient: Southern California Caluerpa Action Team (SCCAT)
SCCAT is a unique workgroup of local, state, federal officials
that is working hard to eradicate caluerpa
taxifolia along the coast. Known as "killer
algae," caluerpa is a non-native species that is threatening
the Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad, CA and
Huntington Harbour in Huntington Beach,
CA.
2. "Coastal Project of the Year 2001"
Recipient: SANDAG Regional Beach Sand Project
This award will be given to the elected officials and staff of
the Shoreline Preservation Committee of
the San Diego Association of Governments for completeing
the state's first regional beach sand replenishment project this
past summer. As a result of that project, 12 severely eroded beaches
in the San Diego region were restored with beach sand dredged from
the ocean.
The complete conference program is posted at
http://www.calcoast.org/events/conf2001/conf2001.htm
CalCoast (www.calcoast.org) is a statewide non-profit advocacy
group comprised of 31 coastal cities; six counties; AMBAG, BEACON,
SANDAG and SCAG; committed to restoring California's beaches and
wetlands and improving water quality along
the coast. CalCoast was the co-sponsor, with CSBPA, of the
California Public Beach Restoration Act (AB 64-Ducheny) which
created the state's first beach
restoration fund in October, 1999.
CSBPA (CSBPA) is an educational and professional association with
members from academics, coastal
engineering and other professions, as well as property
owners and individuals and groups interested in the coast of California.
CSBPA is the state chapter of the American Shore and Beach Preservation
Association. ASBPA was founded in 1926 to promote the "protection
and proper utilization" of the shores of the United States.
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