Chapter 2 - Definitions

California Public Resources Code — §§ 30100-30122

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Sections (35)

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this chapter govern the interpretation of this division.

Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 131, Sec. 30. Effective June 27, 1983.

“Aquaculture” means a form of agriculture as defined in Section 17 of the Fish and Game Code. Aquaculture products are agricultural products, and aquaculture facilities and land uses shall be treated as agricultural facilities and land uses in all planning and permit-issuing decisions governed by this division.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Coastal county” means a county or city and county which lies, in whole or in part, within the coastal zone.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Coastal-dependent development or use” means any development or use which requires a site on, or adjacent to, the sea to be able to function at all.

Added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 1090.

“Coastal-related development” means any use that is dependent on a coastal-dependent development or use.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Coastal development permit” means a permit for any development within the coastal zone that is required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 30600.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Coastal plan” means the California Coastal Zone Conservation Plan prepared and adopted by the California Coastal Zone Conservation Commission and submitted to the Governor and the Legislature on December 1, 1975, pursuant to the California Coastal Zone Conservation Act of 1972 (commencing with Section 27000).

Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 303, Sec. 434. (AB 731) Effective January 1, 2016.

(a)“Coastal zone” means that land and water area of the State of California from the Oregon border to the border of the Republic of Mexico, specified on the maps identified and set forth in Section 17 of Chapter 1330 of the Statutes of 1976, extending seaward to the state’s outer limit of jurisdiction, including all offshore islands, and extending inland generally 1,000 yards from the mean high tide line of the sea. In significant coastal estuarine, habitat, and recreational areas it extends inland to the first major ridgeline paralleling the sea or five miles from the mean high tide line of the sea, whichever is less, and in developed urban areas the zone generally extends inland less than 1,000 yards. The coastal zone does not include the area

of jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, established pursuant to Title 7.2 (commencing with Section 66600) of the Government Code, nor any area contiguous thereto, including any river, stream, tributary, creek, or flood control or drainage channel flowing into such area.

(b)The commission shall, within 60 days after its first meeting, prepare and adopt a detailed map, on a scale of one inch equals 24,000 inches for the coastal zone and shall file a copy of the map with the county clerk of each coastal county. The purpose of this provision is to provide greater detail than is provided by the maps identified in Section 17 of Chapter 1330 of the Statutes of 1976. The commission may adjust the inland boundary of the coastal zone the minimum landward distance necessary up to a maximum of 100 yards except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, or the minimum distance seaward necessary up to a maximum of

200 yards, to avoid bisecting any single lot or parcel or to conform it to readily identifiable natural or manmade features. Where a landward adjustment is requested by the local government and agreed to by the property owner, the maximum distance shall be 200 yards.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

(a)“Commission” means the California Coastal Commission. Whenever the term California Coastal Zone Conservation Commission appears in any law, it means the California Coastal Commission.
(b)“Regional commission” means any regional coastal commission. Whenever the term regional coastal zone conservation commission appears in any law, it means the regional coastal commission.

Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 1087, Sec. 1. Effective September 26, 1980.

“Cumulatively” or “cumulative effect” means the incremental effects of an individual project shall be reviewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and the effects of probable future projects.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Development” means, on land, in or under water, the placement or erection of any solid material or structure; discharge or disposal of any dredged material or of any gaseous, liquid, solid, or thermal waste; grading, removing, dredging, mining, or extraction of any materials; change in the density or intensity of use of land, including, but not limited to, subdivision pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act (commencing with Section 66410 of the Government Code), and any other division of land, including lot splits, except where the land division is brought about in connection with the purchase of such land by a public agency for public recreational use; change in the intensity of use of water, or of access thereto; construction, reconstruction, demolition, or alteration of the size of any structure, including any facility of any private, public, or municipal utility; and the removal or harvesting of major vegetation other than for agricultural purposes, kelp harvesting, and timber operations which are in accordance with a timber harvesting plan submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 (commencing with Section 4511).

As used in this section, “structure” includes, but is not limited to, any building, road, pipe, flume, conduit, siphon, aqueduct, telephone line, and electrical power transmission and distribution line.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Energy facility” means any public or private processing, producing, generating, storing, transmitting, or recovering facility for electricity, natural gas, petroleum, coal, or other source of energy.

Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 360, Sec. 4. (AB 1628) Effective January 1, 2020.

(a)“Environmental justice” means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and national origins, with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
(b)“Environmental justice” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(1)The availability of a healthy environment for all people.
(2)The deterrence, reduction, and elimination of pollution burdens for populations and communities experiencing the adverse effects of that pollution, so that the effects of the pollution are not disproportionately borne by those populations and communities.
(3)Governmental entities engaging and providing technical assistance to populations and communities most impacted by pollution to promote their meaningful participation in all phases of the environmental and land use decisionmaking process.
(4)At a minimum, the meaningful consideration of recommendations from populations and communities most

impacted by pollution into environmental and land use decisions.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1331.

“Environmentally sensitive area” means any area in which plant or animal life or their habitats are either rare or especially valuable because of their special nature or role in an ecosystem and which could be easily disturbed or degraded by human activities and developments.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Feasible” means capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account economic, environmental, social, and technological factors.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Fill” means earth or any other substance or material, including pilings placed for the purposes of erecting structures thereon, placed in a submerged area.

Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1330.

“Implementing actions” means the ordinances, regulations, or programs which implement either the provisions of the certified local coastal program or the policies of this division and which are submitted pursuant to Section 30502.

Amended by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1331.

“Land use plan” means the relevant portions of a local government’s general plan, or local coastal element which are sufficiently detailed to indicate the kinds, location, and intensity of land uses, the applicable resource protection and development policies and, where necessary, a listing of implementing actions.

Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1009, Sec. 41.

“Local coastal element” is that portion of a general plan applicable to the coastal zone which may be prepared by local government pursuant to this division, or any additional elements of the local government’s general plan prepared pursuant to Section 65303 of the Government Code, as the local government deems appropriate.

Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 919.

“Local coastal program” means a local government’s (a) land use plans, (b) zoning ordinances, (c) zoning district maps, and (d) within sensitive coastal resources areas, other implementing actions, which, when taken together, meet the requirements of, and implement the provisions and policies of, this division at the local level.

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