April 10 Support for AB 2501 (Wicks): Public resources: Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group

April 10^th, 2026

Assemblymember Wicks

1021 O Street, Suite 8140

Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: AB 2051 Public resources: Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group – support

Dear Assemblymember Wicks,

On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I write in support of your authored bill, AB 2051, that would convene a Coastal Resilience Permitting Working Group for the purpose of developing a Coastal Resilience Permitting Roadmap for coastal resilience projects.

California’s coast and bays – including here in Marin County -- are on the front lines of climate change. Sea level rise, storm surges, and increasingly frequent flooding threatens vulnerable communities, sensitive ecosystems, and critical infrastructure across the state. Delivering resilience projects quickly and responsibly is essential, yet California’s current coastal permitting system is often fragmented and unpredictable, slowing urgently needed adaptation efforts and increasing costs.

For example, Marin County has tidal channels and the San Rafael Federal Navigation Channel that require dredging, however the county has previously been unable to secure permits for beneficial reuse of that sediment in nearby marshlands where it is needed. Permitting reform could allow for reuse sediment dredged from adjacent tidal channels – just upstream of the restoration site — to raise marsh elevations and prepare for future tidal reconnection, providing a lower-cost, lower-impact solution.

This bill would seek to prevent cases like this by accelerating resilience projects while upholding California’s environmental protections through stronger interagency coordination, standardized processes, workforce assessment and future legislative action.

For these reasons, the County of Marin supports AB 2051 to help ensure that critical climate adaptation projects move forward at the scale and speed required to protect communities and ecosystems. Thank you for your leadership on this issue.

Sincerely,

Eric Lucan, President
Marin County Board of Supervisors

CC:       Marin County Board of Supervisors

Assemblymember Damon Connolly

Senator Mike McGuire