Powerful waves are slamming California's shoreline as El Niño gains strength. To hold back the ocean, homeowners and local officials are stacking boulders and building seawalls along the coast, including to shore up a railroad line at risk of sliding into the water.

People who live near the shore have every reason to want protection. But concern is growing that these hard barriers could come at a steep price: the sandy beaches that Californians and visitors love. A coastal expert quoted in recent news coverage warned that rock and walls may help in the short term while research points to harm over the long run.

It doesn't have to be one or the other. Options like adding sand to eroding beaches, restoring dunes, and planning ahead for rising seas can help shield homes while keeping beaches open to everyone. These approaches take funding and coordination that individual homeowners and small towns can't manage alone.

The California Coastal Commission and the California State Legislature have the power to change this. They can make nature-based shoreline protection the priority, help coastal communities pay for it, and treat new seawalls as a last resort instead of the first response.

California's beaches belong to everyone, and families along the coast deserve protection that actually lasts. Smart planning can deliver both.

Sign the petition to urge the California Coastal Commission and state lawmakers to protect homes and beaches together, before more sand is lost to the sea.