Public Comment

There may be no better indicator that the executive director of the California Coastal Commission (CCC) is doing his job than for the governor and his commission appointees to try to sack him. 

Charles Lester, Ph.D., the powerful agency’s executive director, is now faced with a personnel hearing at the February 10 commission meeting in Morro Bay to discuss his dismissal. He was informed by letter. No reason was given. Dr. Lester requested a public hearing and has made no public comment. 

Lester succeeded Peter Douglas as executive director of the CCC, when Douglas retired in 2011, after 25 years at the helm. During his tenure, Douglas successfully faced multiple attempts to oust him. Few believed Lester could approach the level of fierce dedication that Douglas brought to the job. 

Lester has now proved this wrong. He has demonstrated his ability to lead the agency, particularly with the recent release of the Sea Level Rise Guidance Document, a document two-and-a-half years in the making, and a starting point for the state to deal with the immense challenges that sea level rise will pose to the coast. The document was highly praised by commissioners, and is a solid indicator that the man with the difficult job of administering the Coastal Act is doing it well. 

The opposition to Lester is said to be led by Governor Brown’s appointee Wendy Mitchell, and his ouster could lead to a political hack replacing him. 

The irony here is that the Coastal Act of 1976 passed and was signed into law by Governor Brown during his first administration. It would not have passed the California Senate without last-minute lobbying by Brown himself. Numerous insiders have told me there is little affection for the commission from the governor who can take major credit for its existence, since the Coastal Act’s passage was required to reaffirm Prop. 20, passed by voters in 1972. 

The independence of the CCC has grated on more than one governor. Gov. Deukemejian campaigned against it, and drastically cut its funding once elected. Governor Wilson took a shot at ousting Douglas when the Republicans took over the Assembly, but that attempt failed in the face of overwhelming public support for Douglas. . A similar outpouring is what is needed now to support Charles Lester. 

Hey, there’s a reason the California coast does not look like the Jersey shore or Miami Beach! It’s because, for 44 years, many projects (though not all) that would restrict coastal access, destroy views, or negatively affect wetlands and water quality, have been denied by the commission. Should the California public allow that to change, so that the rich and famous, or large corporations, have the greater say? 

Does the coast actually belong to the people of California, or the wealthy few who can afford coastal real estate? Shall the future of the coast of California be determined by commissioners who more devotedly serve major energy and development interests, such as Wendy Mitchell, among whose clients is PG&E, infamous operator of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant whose relicensing will soon be before the commission? As a private citizen, she does not answer to the public. 

What can the average beachgoer or surfer do to help prevent the dismissal of Lester? 

First, one can call the governor’s office, or visit it online to make a comment. 

The following coastal commissioners are elected officials. 

Martha McClure, Del Norte County Supervisor 

Erik Howell, Pismo Beach Councilman 

Roberto Uranga, Long Beach City Councilman 

Steve Kinsey, Marin County Supervisor 

Carole Groom, San Mateo County Supervisor 

Greg Cox, San Diego County Supervisor 

If you know anyone who lives or works in one of these districts, ask them to call as a constituent, stating opposition to Lester’s dismissal. 

If you can possibly make it to the Morro Bay hearing, please do so. 

Other options are writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or making a donation to one of several nonprofit organizations fighting the ouster. These include Surfrider Foundation and The Sierra Club, although numerous smaller groups will send representatives and will need to cover travel expenses. You can also share social media posts and tweets from these groups. 

Do something! Do it now! 

To learn more about Charles Lester, see Earth Alert’s 2012 interview with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YknxMPWLkz4