Fresno County, CA Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)
Key Facts
- Coastline
- None (inland county)
- Coastal Commission
- No jurisdiction
- Region
- San Joaquin Valley
- Applicable Law
- CEQA & Porter-Cologne
- Air Quality
- SJVAPCD Region 5
Summary
The California Coastal Act does not apply in Fresno County. Fresno County is inland in the San Joaquin Valley with no Pacific coastline, and no portion of the county falls within the Coastal Zone or California Coastal Commission jurisdiction.
Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 30103(a) specifically defines California's Coastal Zone as that land and water area of the State of California from the Oregon border to the border of the Republic of Mexico depicted on maps identified and set forth in Section 17 of that chapter of the Statutes of the 1975-76 Regular Session enacting PRC Division 20 (the Coastal Act of 1976). PRC Section 30103(b) directed the Coastal Commission to prepare and adopt more detailed 1:24,000 scale Coastal Zone Boundary (CZB) maps, which occurred March 1, 1977. These 161 adopted maps provide the official basis for all other representations of the landward CZB.
Full Breakdown
) and California Coastal Commission (PRC §30300) regulate development only within the designated Coastal Zone, which generally extends 1,000 yards inland from the mean high tide line (with wider extensions along wetlands and estuaries). Fresno County lies in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, approximately 140-180 miles from the nearest coastline (Monterey Bay/Big Sur), and has no ocean frontage. No Local Coastal Program (LCP) applies, and no Coastal Development Permit (CDP) is required anywhere in the county. ), the county General Plan, and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) for air-quality matters under Health & Safety Code §40000.
Water quality along the San Joaquin River, Kings River, and Friant-Kern Canal is administered through the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Region 5) under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Water Code §13000). S. Forest Service NEPA review, not the Coastal Act.
Violations & Fines
Not applicable: no Coastal Act jurisdiction exists in Fresno County. Environmental violations instead prosecuted under CEQA, Central Valley Regional Water Board orders with civil penalties up to $10,000/day under Water Code §13385, and SJVAPCD air-quality rules with penalties up to $25,000/day per H&SC §42402.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the California Coastal Act apply in Fresno County?
What environmental permits apply to rural Fresno County development?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno County
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