Excerpt:
Creation of a California Ocean Corps won the support of the California State Legislature last week and is now making its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for a signature.
Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign the bill, which would direct the 46-year-old California Conservation Corps to create the offshoot Ocean Corps in the next four years with the help of grants and local conservation groups in coastal counties.
The Ocean Corps would have a trained force ready to respond, which could also be addressing ecosystem restoration and climate resiliency efforts the rest of the time.
In addition to emergency response, the Ocean Corps would have a long list of duties: restoring and enhancing coastal watersheds and habitats, providing public access to the coast and dealing with extreme weather events or other natural and man-made hazards that threaten coastal communities, infrastructure and natural resources.
