Environmentalist appointed to Coastal Commission Laguna Beach Mayor Toni Iseman has been named to the Coastal Commission by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco). Iseman replaces Huntington Beach Councilmember Shirley S. Dettloff. “Iseman recognizes the economic importance of protecting California’s coast,” said Mark Massara, director of the Sierra Club’s coastal programs. A fierce environmentalist, Iseman first spoke before the Coastal Commission in the 70s against a condominium project in Laguna Beach and in 1994 chained herself to a bulldozer to block the development of Laguna Canyon. The Commission is currently undergoing a challenge to its constitutionality. The California Court of Appeals in Sacramento has ruled that the Coastal Commission is unconstitutional. While the decision is unlikely to impact the Coastal Commission’s authority in the near future, it may become necessary for the Governor and State Legislature to amend the Coastal Act to provide for fixed terms for Coastal Commissioners. This, in the opinion of many environmentalists, would make the Commission more independent and less subject to political influence. California has 1,150 miles of coast. The Commission has jurisdiction over development decisions within the Coastal Zone.

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