Coastal regions, including public trust lands, are of unique importance to environmental and climate policy, infrastructure development and ecosystem management. They also raise unique challenges for disadvantaged communities, including those who live and work along the "Hidden Coast" - low-lying lands and non-oceanfront tidal and estuarine zones that account for 80% of the national shoreline. The Coastal Justice Lab is a joint program led by Azul, a Latinx-led and -serving environmental justice organization focused on coastal and marine conservation, the Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources (CLEANR) at UCI Law and UCI Newkirk Center for Science and Society. The Coastal Justice Lab is unique among efforts to advance environmental justice in coastal regions. It focuses on legal and interdisciplinary research to ensure that the work of federal, state, and local agencies, planning and regulatory proceedings, and compliance and enforcement initiatives advance principles of environmental justice and community involvement and ownership. The Coastal Justice Lab's work includes policy proposals, draft legislation, convening reports, facilitated dialogues and peer-reviewed research to support ongoing community and agency initiatives.
Speakers include:
Emma Cervantes, California Sea Grant Law and Policy Fellow, California State Lands Commission
Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director, Azul
Gregg Macey, Associate Director for Environmental Justice, Center for Land, Environment, and Natural Resources, UCI Law
Yessica Ramirez, Environmental Justice Liaison, California State Lands Commission
Sumi Selvaraj, Environmental Justice Manager, California Coastal Commission
Noaki Schwartz, Deputy Director of Communications, Environmental Justice, and Tribal Affairs, California Coastal Commission
Zoom webinar is available for remote participation. The link will be sent when you RSVP.
