California State Lands Commission Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020
The California State Lands Commission (SLC) is in the final stages of updating their strategic plan through the final draft of the California State Lands Commission Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020. Led by California State Lieutenant Governor, Gavin Newsom, State Controller, Betty Yee and Director of Finance, Michael Cohen the Lands Commission is tasked with protecting the lands that are controlled by the State of California. This includes all of the lands under and adjacent to the navigable rivers within the State. Thus, actions by the SLC are critical to protecting the public’s right to float and access rivers in California.
During the updating process, American Whitewater provided comments on the Draft Strategic Plan and attended a stakeholder meeting to discuss the plan with commission staff. We are pleased to note the plan includes “Strategy 1.3 - Protect, expand, and enhance public use and access to and along the State’s inland and coastal waterways”. To this end the Commission has plans to, “Prepare and disseminate a Guide to Rights on and to California Navigable Waterways and associated brochure for coastal and inland waterways”. This guide will be a valuable tool when private landowners, agencies, or municipalities are illegally denying access such as the access to the Cosumnes River on Latrobe Road Bridge.
The Lands Commission will be voting to approve this plan at their meeting this Friday, December 18 2015 at 1:30 pm. The recommended action is to adopt the new strategic plan and paddlers are welcome to attend and voice support for the plan at the Capitol Event Center 1020 11th Street – 2nd Floor Sacramento, CA 95814. The public can also view the meeting at http://slc.videossc.com.