Four years later, the Coastal Act became state law, regulating development in collaboration with local government agencies, guaranteeing public access and protecting marine and coastal habitats. Mike McCoy knew the roughly 2,500-acre space was already something useful, and vitally important. At a 1977 Imperial Beach meeting packed with marina supporters, Mike McCoy drew his line in the sand. AdvertisementCoastal conservationist Mike McCoy looks at a new interpretive sign at the Tijuana Estuary in Imperial Beach on Friday. AdvertisementThe Coastal Act has been aggressively enforced, at times to a fault in the opinion of developers, homeowners, commercial interests and some politicians.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 14, 2026 18:01 UTC