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October 27, 2026 - Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s new draft evaluation of the California Coastal Management Program under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) was exposed by the Los Angeles Times.

Schiff highlighted how the evaluation puts California’s ability to protect its coast and future coastal management funding in peril:  

“For half a century, California and the federal government have cooperated to protect our coastline. Now, further proof that this administration wants to end that partnership. 

“This trumped-up evaluation is the latest evidence of what I and our delegation have been warning of: that Donald Trump’s NOAA is creating a pretext to take away California’s power to manage its own shores. 

“If these threats are seen through, an administration that has proven to be hell-bent on reopening California to dangerous offshore drilling and other environmental hazards would get the sole jurisdiction over our golden coast. 

“This is a five-alarm warning to every job and industry that relies on our sandy beaches and beautiful bluffs for its livelihood. Soon, you too could see your environment for sale to Big Oil, Elon Musk, and any other high bidder that buys its way into the White House ballroom.” 

Background: If finalized, the evaluation sets up NOAA to decertify the California Coastal Management Program, block future funding under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), and revoke California’s ability to set its own guidelines for protecting coastal communities and environment and work with the federal government to mitigate environmental consequences of federal projects.  

Schiff, alongside U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19) led the California congressional delegation’s pushback on the administration’s decision to initiate the review of California’s coastal management program – emphasizing the ideologically-driven trampling on states’ rights that jeopardizes California’s shoreline.  

Source: Senator Adam Schiff