Not only does coastal Orange County have a rare chance for a new nature preserve or state park, it also has the poster child for why the California Coastal Commission needs to be given real enforcement power through fines — as called for in a bill before the state Senate.
Although agencies sometimes do overload common sense in a maze of regulations, the Coastal Commission has proved to be an important, last-stand protector of nature along California's magnificent coast.
Through humble beginnings in the 1970s and a wise culture that values citizen action, the commission is key to making sure many miles of the Central Coast's rolling hills will meet the sea 100 years from now with a quiet grace that stands far above our current squabbles.