Monterey County, CA Environmental Rules: Shoreline Management (2026)

Monterey County's shoreline is regulated under California Coastal Act (Cal. Public Resources Code section 30000 et seq.) and the County's certified Local Coastal Program. Title 20 of the Monterey County Code (Coastal Implementation Plan) is the zoning ordinance for the Coastal Zone, administered by Housing and Community Development. The LCP is built from four separate Land Use Plans: Big Sur Coast LUP (1986, the most protective in California); Carmel Area LUP; Del Monte Forest LUP (Pebble Beach); and North County LUP (Moss Landing, Pajaro Dunes). New shoreline development must site landward of geologic hazard setbacks - typically 60 to 130 feet from the bluff edge, calculated as the projected 75- or 100-year erosion distance. Shoreline armoring (seawalls, riprap revetments, bulkheads) is allowed under Coastal Act section 30235 only to protect existing (pre-Coastal Act, i.e., pre-1977) structures or essential coastal-dependent public infrastructure (e.g., Highway 1). All shoreline structures require a Coastal Development Permit, and California Coastal Commission review on appeal. Big Sur Coast LUP explicitly bars 'alteration of the shoreline including diking, dredging, and filling' except for Highway 1 maintenance. The County is updating the Big Sur Coast LUP under REF 210024.