In 2025, our office demonstrated exceptional work ethic as we serve the community we call home. As a step toward saving our beaches, we delivered:
- Sand on Our Beaches: Delivered the first quarter mile of sand this fall to North Beach in San Clemente, with a commitment to bring a total of 540,000 cubic yards to restore San Clemente beaches and our coastal rail.
- South County Beach Coalition: Convened the inaugural South County Beach Coalition, bringing together government agencies, stakeholders, and community organizations. The coalition prioritizes streamlining sand delivery to beaches and addressing bureaucratic delays affecting coastal resiliency. Watch for the State of the Beaches Report in 2026.
- Climate Action Plan: The CEQA analysis of the County’s Climate Action Plan approaches completion, with approval and adoption planned for early 2026. This plan highlights the County’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, saving costs for taxpayers and cleaning the air for neighboring communities.
- Advancing Environmental Justice: The County received the U.S. Green Building Council of California’s award for Environmental Justice for assisting mobile home communities in transitioning to green energy. The project kicked off in December 2025 with a focus on decreasing costs for mobile home residents.
- Water Independence: The Board of Supervisors authorized a Memorandum of Understanding to explore using excess landfill gas to power the Doheny Desalination Plant. This initiative strengthens local water supply, reduces reliance on imported water, and builds resilience against potential natural disasters.
- Trash Interceptor: Supervisor Foley partnered with Newport Beach to unveil a solar- and water-powered Trash Interceptor, supported by $500,000 from OCTA, expected to cut Upper Newport Bay debris by 80%.
- Coastal Cleanup: Through the Stand Up to Trash partnership, 2,521 volunteers removed 3,226 pounds of trash from monthly Dana Point Harbor cleanups.
- Sea Lion Management: Supervisor Foley funded a $25,000 grant for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to use drones and thermal mapping to study sea lion habitat at Dana Point Harbor and identify a home base.
- Talbert Regional Park and Randall Preserve: Supervisor Foley, as a Randall Preserve/Genga Advisory Committee member, guides agencies through the transition of the former Banning Ranch site into Orange County’s largest coastal preserve. The future Randall Preserve property abuts the County’s Talbert Regional Park, linking two major coastal open spaces. Beyond funding the Randall Preserve public recreation study, Supervisor Foley supported the first phase of the Talbert Regional Park Master Plan this year.
