COASTAL CONSERVANCY

Staff Recommendation May 27, 2004

SAIL SAN FRANCISCO: TALL SHIPS EXPOSITION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS File No. 02-037 Project Manager: Neal Fishman

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Authorization to disburse an additional $125,000 to Sail San Francisco for tall ships expositions and projects.

LOCATION: Urban waterfront areas throughout the coast.

PROGRAM CATEGORY: Urban waterfront restoration and education projects.

EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Staff Recommendation June 4, 2003 Exhibit 2: Letters of Support

RESOLUTION AND FINDINGS:

Staff recommends that the State Coastal Conservancy adopt the following resolution pursuant to Sections 31300 et seq. and 3119 of the Public Resources Code: “The State Coastal Conservancy hereby authorizes disbursement of an amount not to exceed one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) to Sail San Francisco to coordinate and facilitate visits of tall ships, international maritime training vessels, and other unique craft, to California’s coastal ports for purposes, including but not limited to, assisting in the development of waterfront festivals that highlight such ships; and to carry out educational projects for students in grades through 12 associated with such visits, relating to the preservation, protection, enhancement and maintenance of coastal resources.”

Staff further recommends that the Conservancy adopt the following findings: “Based on the accompanying staff report and attached exhibits, the State Coastal Conservancy hereby finds that: 1. The proposed project is consistent with the purposes and objectives of Chapter 7 of Division 21 of the Public Resources Code, regarding urban waterfront restoration.

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2. The proposed project is consistent with the Project Selection Criteria and Guidelines adopted by the Conservancy on January 24, 2001. 3. Sail San Francisco is a nonprofit organization existing under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, and whose purposes are consistent with Division 21 of the California Public Resources Code.”

PROJECT SUMMARY: In June 2003, the Conservancy provided $75,000 to Sail San Francisco, a nonprofit organization, to coordinate visits of tall sailing ships and other vessels to California ports and engage in environmental education for children. The currently proposed authorization would provide an additional $125,000 to Sail San Francisco to continue its work. Sail San Francisco has used the 2003 funds to sponsor the visits of large sailing or training ships from Mexico, Japan, and Columbia as well as several west coast ships. In the case of the Japanese Nippon Maru, Sail San Francisco’s intervention was directly responsible for ensuring that the vessels were open to the public after initial objections of the Japanese Navy due to liability concerns. Sail San Francisco was also the key reason that the Colombian ship Gloria visited a number of California ports. In all cases Sail San Francisco was able to arrange free or reduced cost maritime services for ships and developed very solid relationships with naval and other governmental officials, including within the United States Department of State and Navy. Approximately 1,000 children from 13 Bay Area schools and youth groups toured foreign ships under Sail San Francisco’s sponsorship. Many took part in sail training cruises. Over 100,000 people boarded visiting vessels sponsored by Sail San Francisco in 2003. Except as augmented below, the discussion in Exhibit 1, the Conservancy’s June 2003 staff recommendation, remains accurate and applicable to the currently proposed authorization. Sail San Francisco will continue all activities as described in that authorization and staff recommendation. Additionally, the proposed grant to Sail San Francisco, while applicable to its activities during the remainder of 2004, would help the organization to organize a major festival slated for San Francisco in the summer of 2005. Ships from over 20 foreign countries and many more from the west coast have been invited to this event that is expected to draw large crowds to the San Francisco waterfront. Ships have been invited from such diverse locations as Spain, Mexico, Romania, Oman, Japan, Ecuador and Australia. Sail San Francisco is the main organizer of this festival and will take the lead in inviting over 60 ships, handling international protocol issues, public relations, marketing and community outreach; securing maritime services; and coordinating with the U.S. Department of State, foreign consuls and naval attaches. It will also develop themes for the event and many multi-cultural activities. It will also plan and develop activities for school children. Site Description: Sail San Francisco would sponsor tall ship visits at various coastal California ports in 2004. The 2005 festival will be in San Francisco but vessels are also expected to stop in other California ports.

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PROJECT FINANCING: Coastal Conservancy $125,000 Other sources 100,000 Total Project Cost $225,000

The California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account (Whale Tail License Plate) is the anticipated source of the proposed grant to Sail San Francisco.

CONSISTENCY WITH CONSERVANCY'S STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL(S) & OBJECTIVE(S):

Support of Sail San Francisco is consistent with Goal 3, Objective A, because it promotes tourism and the protection of cultural and historic resources. It supports “events that increase public use and enjoyment of waterfront areas.”

Sail San Francisco’s program is also consistent with the Education section of the Strategic Plan, which states “To the extent that appropriate funding sources are available (non-General Fund), the Conservancy will assist government and nonprofit partners in developing high quality coastal-oriented educational experiences and materials for school children.”

CONSISTENCY WITH CONSERVANCY'S PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA & GUIDELINES:

Please see Exhibit 1.

Required Criteria 2. Consistency with purposes of the funding source: See the “Project Financing” section above. 3. Support of the public: See Exhibits 1 and 2.

Additional Criteria 7. Urgency: There are very long lead times in planning for tall ship voyages from distant locations. Sail San Francisco’s work is needed now to ensure that ships will come to the 2005 event. 9. Leverage: See the “Project Financing” section above.

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Agenda Item 19. June 4, 2003

Project F. SAIL SAN FRANCISCO: TALL SHIPS EXPOSITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECTS

Exhibit 1

COASTAL CONSERVANCY

Staff Recommendation June 4, 2003

SAIL SAN FRANCISCO: TALL SHIPS EXPOSITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECTS

File No. 02-037 Project Manager: Neal Fishman

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Authorization to disburse up to $75,000 to Sail San Francisco to coordinate and facilitate visits of tall sailing ships, international maritime training vessels, and other unique craft to California’s coastal ports, to assist in develop- ment of waterfront festivals that highlight such ships; and to carry out educational pro- jects for students in grades kindergarten through 12 associated with such visits.

LOCATION: Urban waterfront areas throughout the coast

PROGRAM CATEGORY: Urban waterfront restoration, and education projects

RESOLUTION AND FINDINGS:

Staff recommends that the State Coastal Conservancy adopt the following Resolution pursuant to Sections 31300 et seq. and 31119 of the Public Resources Code: “The State Coastal Conservancy hereby authorizes disbursement of an amount not to exceed seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) to Sail San Francisco to coordinate and facilitate visits of tall sailing ships, international maritime training vessels, and other unique craft, to California’s coastal ports for purposes, including but not limited to, as- sisting in the development of waterfront festivals that highlight such ships; and to carry out educational projects for students in grades kindergarten through 12 associated with such visits, relating to the preservation, protection, enhancement and maintenance of coastal resources.”

Staff further recommends that the Conservancy adopt the following findings: “Based on the accompanying staff report and attached exhibits, the State Coastal Conser- vancy hereby find that: 1. The proposed project is consistent with the purposes and objectives of Chapter 7 of Division 21 of the Public Resources Code, regarding urban waterfront restoration. 2. The proposed project is consistent with the Project Selection Criteria and Guidelines adopted by the Conservancy on January 24, 2001.

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3. Sail San Francisco is a nonprofit organization existing under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, and whose purposes are consistent with Division 21 of the California Public Resources Code.”

PROJECT SUMMARY: Staff is recommending that the Conservancy authorize disbursement of $75,000 to Sail San Francisco (SSF), a nonprofit organization, to promote visitation of tall ships and in- ternational maritime training vessels and other unique craft to California’s ports, for pur- poses including development of waterfront festivals highlighting such ships; and to sup- port educational projects associated with such visits. Visits by tall ships and other unique or historic vessels to California ports can draw thousands of people to the waterfront if properly publicized or as part of larger festivals. This can have a significant positive im- pact on the economies of waterfront areas and help in their revitalization. Tall ships are a unique and effective setting for teaching children about the preservation, protection, enhancement, and maintenance of coastal resources. The crews of these ves- sels are recruited to share their knowledge of the sea through stories and hands-on activi- ties on board the ships. The ships are resources in and of themselves and can be used to teach about California’s history, including the development of its waterfronts and ports and associated resource issues. SSF would use grant funds to organize visits by tall ships to various California ports. It would contact both private ship owners as well as foreign governments that operate tall ships and training vessels and seek to have them come to California, both individually and as part of waterfront festivals highlighting such ships. It would coordinate these visits among various ports, publicize them, and act as liaison among local, State, federal, and foreign governments. It would ensure that the needs of the various ships are met while in California, including maritime services, technical support, and translation services. It would notify visiting vessels of available services and use volunteers to carry out cultural exchanges such as the existing Adopt-A-Sailor program, through which foreign crews visit private homes for a meal. SSF would also help to organize waterfront festivals that highlight the visits of tall ships and other craft. This would include working with local government and the business community to sponsor these events. SSF would also offer logistical and volunteer sup- port. SSF would also sponsor educational projects associated with the visits of tall ships. They would work with schools to bring students on board ships for hands-on experience with the operation and maintenance of the vessels. Students would meet the crew and learn about the ships and the coast through stories and developed curricula. Students would also learn about preservation, protection, enhancement, and maintenance of coastal re- sources, including the ships themselves, the fragility of the ocean environment, and the relationship between the health of the ocean and human activities on land and sea. SSF is a highly qualified organization to carry out this work. Last year they sponsored a very successful event along the San Francisco waterfront that attracted tens of thousands

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of visitors over a one week period. Approximately 30 tall ships participated from as far away as Ukraine. The U.S. Department of State is in support of SSF’s work in attracting foreign vessels to California (see Letters of Support). Site Description: SSF would sponsor tall ship visits at various coastal California ports. San Francisco is a likely location for a tall ship festival in early fall of this year. Project History: Last year the Conservancy sponsored tall ship events in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. A grant of $50,000 was given to the project sponsors in each port area. Each festival was very successful with hundreds of thousands of visitors in attendance over a three-week period. Recently the Conservancy granted $300,000 to the San Diego Maritime Museum to restore the tall ship Californian, a replica of an 1848 revenue cutter. This ship will be docked in San Diego but as a condition of the Conser- vancy’s grant will sail up coast, at least as far as San Francisco Bay, each year for five years, stopping at ports along the way. The object of that grant is to bring people to wa- terfront areas and thereby help in their revitalization. The currently proposed grant to SSF, the sponsor of last year’s San Francisco festival and the Conservancy’s grantee, will build on the Californian’s voyages this year. SSF will seek to bring other ships to California this year, at the same time that the Californian sails up the coast.

PROJECT FINANCING: Coastal Conservancy $ 75,000 Other sources 225,000 Total Project Cost $300,000

The Conservancy’s grant would come from the California Environmental License Plate Fund. This source of funding may be used for any purpose consistent with Division 21 of the Public Resources Code, and may only be used by the Conservancy or the Coastal Commission. Funds from the current fiscal year will be used.

CONSISTENCY WITH CONSERVANCY'S ENABLING LEGISLATION: The proposed authorization is consistent with Chapter 7 (regarding urban waterfront res- toration) of the Conservancy’s enabling legislation, Division 21 of the Public Resources Code. In §31301, the Legislature stated that it intended to “promote the restoration of the state’s vital urban waterfronts.” It found that developing the State’s waterfronts into envi- ronmentally sound areas would encourage tourism, public access, and private sector de- velopment that would be beneficial to citizens of the State. Promoting visits of tall ships and other unique vessels to California’s urban waterfronts will encourage tourism and have the same results as the actual “creation” of visitor serving facilities, one of the methods for creating environmentally sound areas specifically mentioned in Chapter 7. Money from tourism would be expected to support private sector development, another means to convert rundown urban waterfronts into environmentally sound areas. Section 31307 authorizes the Conservancy to award grants to nonprofit organizations for the restoration of urban coastal waterfront areas, and §31308 authorizes the Conservancy

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to prioritize up to the total cost of any urban waterfront program.. Sail San Francisco is a nonprofit organization. Its promotion of ship visits to California will be part of the over- all restoration of various waterfront areas. Section 31119(a) of Division 21 authorizes the Conservancy to award grants to nonprofit organizations to undertake kindergraten through 12 educational projects relating to the preservation, protection, enhancement, and maintenance of coastal resources. The grant to SSF will be partially used for this purpose.

CONSISTENCY WITH CONSERVANCY'S PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA & GUIDELINES:

The proposed project is consistent with the Conservancy's Project Selection Criteria and Guidelines adopted January 24, 2001, in the following respects:

Required Criteria 1. Promotion of the Conservancy’s statutory programs and purposes: See the “Consistency with Conservancy’s Enabling Legislation” section above. 2. Consistency with purposes of the funding source: See the “Project Financing” sec- tion above. 3. Support from the public: The proposed grant to SSF has wide public and govern- ment support. Letters of support have been received from the U.S. Department of State, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Assemblymembers Leland Yee and Mark Leno, San Francisco Supervisors Gavin Newsom and Chris Daly, the Fisherman’s Wharf Association, Pier 39, the Rubicon Children’s Center, and San Francisco City Admin- istrator William Lee. In addition, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed and Mayor Brown signed a resolution in support of this authorization (see letters of sup- port attached in Exhibit 1). 4. Location: The tall ship visits will take place in coastal ports, including those in San Francisco Bay. 5. Need: No other public or private organization has taken on the role of encouraging visits to California from sailing ships and other unique vessels, especially from for- eign countries. This used to be done by the Navy when they had a major presence in San Francisco Bay. The Conservancy’s grant will supplement SSF’s limited budget to sponsor such visits. 6. Greater-than-local interest: This program will have positive economic benefits in various California ports and waterfront areas. It will encourage tourism to the State. Each visit and each festival will have wide regional interest.

Additional Criteria 7. Urgency: Funds are needed to ensure that ships can visit California in the summer of 2003 and to coordinate this program with the expected voyage of the Californian.

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8. Resolution of more than one issue: This program will help to restore the State’s waterfront areas and will also provide educational opportunities for school age chil- dren. 9. Leverage: The majority of SSF’s funding comes from individuals and private foun- dations. The Conservancy’s funds will be leveraged at least three to one. 10. Readiness: SSF will begin immediately to use these funds to attract ships to Califor- nia and to fund educational projects. 11. Realization of prior Conservancy goals: See the “Project History” section above. 12. Cooperation: SSF will be working with a wide range of public and private organiza- tions and individuals to bring ships to California ports.

COMPLIANCE WITH CEQA: The tall ship visits, public gatherings, and educational projects are consistent with the normal operations of existing port and waterfront facilities, where there is a history of such gatherings. These activities are categorically exempt from the California Environ- mental Quality Act (CEQA) under 14 Cal. Code of Regulations Section 15323. Upon approval, staff will file a Notice of Exemption.

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EXHIBIT 1

Letters of Support

EXHIBIT #: Letters of Support

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