Congressman Lowenthal, CA Congress Members, Warn CA Coastal Commission Over Possible Firing of Exec Director

Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) today, along with nine of his Congressional colleagues who represent California districts, warned the chair of the California Coastal Commission (CCC) that firing CCC Executive Director Charles Lester would threaten the non-partisan nature of the CCC's work, risking its legacy and validity.

Congressman Lowenthal issued the warning in a letter addressed to the chair of the CCC, Commissioner Steve Kinsey. California Governor Jerry Brown and Lester were also sent copies.

The CCC is a 12-member board that oversees coastal development along the California coast. Six of the voting commissioners are locally elected officials from specific coastal areas and six are appointed members of the public. All voting members are appointed either by the California Governor, California Senate Rules Committee, or the California Speaker of the Assembly; each appoints four commissioners, two public members and two elected officials.

The 12-member commission appointed Executive Director John Lester unanimously in 2011 to lead a CCC staff of nearly 150 with an annual budget of just over $19 million. 

CCC chair Kinsey has called a February 10 Special Meeting of the commission to "consider the employment" of Lester.

In the letter the Congressman said, "The essential responsibility of the Coastal Commission is to uphold the strong protections for our California coastline through lawful and non-partisan implementation of our foundational coastal protection laws, including the Coastal Protection Act, the California Coastal Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.  Since his unanimous approval by the Commission in 2011, Dr. Lester has upheld the law by thoughtfully balancing economic opportunity, access, and conservation for the benefit of all Californians."

"We are concerned that firing the Executive Director of the Coastal Commission will threaten the non-partisan nature of the Commission's work and endanger the very laws that have been so successfully upheld over the past decades. We are concerned about any actions that would politicize Commission staff and subsequently risk the legacy and validity of the Commission. We urge you to keep these concerns in mind when the Commission meets on February 10th."

Also signing the letter are Reps. Julia Brownley (CA-26), John Garmendi (CA-03), Sam Farr (CA-20), Janice Hahn (CA-44), Mike Honda (CA-17), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), and Adam Schiff (CA-28).

To view the entire letter, click here.