Pacifica Land Trust: Restoration and Managed Retreat of Pacific State Beach

Despite the use of stabilizing structures, flooding of San Pedro Creek and coastal erosion at Pacifica/Linda Mar State Beach has been a recurring problem for the City of Pacifica. In the early 1990s, the city partnered with state and federal agencies, scientists, engineers, and non-profit organizations, including the California Coastal Conservancy and the Pacifica Land Trust, to restore wetlands and work toward a managed retreat strategy for Pacifica State Beach. The managed retreat strategy (i.e., the Pacifica State Beach Master Plan) called for the removal of vulnerable structures on the beach and the utilization of soft stabilization techniques to reduce flooding threats, preserve the beach, and improve steelhead habitat. Management actions aim to reduce flooding and erosion threats and restore habitat, which is likely to buffer the system against future climate-related changes such as sea level rise.

We are proud to announce that the PLT was selected by the Pacifica Open Space and Parkland Advisory Committee for the City of Pacifica’s 2020 Open Space Preservation Award. The award will be presented by the City Council at the November 9, 2020 City Council Meeting. It is truly an honor to be recognized for our nearly 30 years of efforts in preserving and restoring many of our treasured public open spaces. We are extremely grateful to the City and all of our grant funders, including the California Coastal Conservancy, the County of San Mateo and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. We couldn’t have succeeded without the additional support of other partners including POST and the Trust for Public Land, as well as all our volunteers, stewards and donors.

The Pacifica Land Trust has been awarded a grant from the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Fund for restoration of Pedro Point Headlands.