This comprehensive and authoritative guide to the natural and cultural resources of California's magnificent 1,100-mile coastline is the companion to the best-selling California Coastal Access Guide. Whereas the Access Guide stressed public access to the California coast, the Resource Guide focuses on the rich and varied natural resources of the coast and its diverse habitats, including detailed descriptions of flora and fauna; the Guide also features accounts of the history of the coast, and includes numerous striking and informative drawings, photographs, and maps. Part One consists of sections of statewide interest divided into three categories: the first is coastal geography, which includes descriptions of coastal mountains, rivers, marine terraces, beaches, wetlands, nearshore waters, and the open ocean; the second is living resources, covering the flora and fauna of the coast; and the third is cultural resources, treating history, architecture, recreation, and economy, including such topics as parks and beaches, recreational fishing, amusement parks, lighthouses, offshore oil, tourism, agriculture, and other coastal industries. Part Two is composed of individual sections on each of California's coastal counties, as well as San Francisco Bay, the Farallon Islands, and the Channel Islands. This portion of the book includes 150 maps, lists of species of interest, a summary of each county's history, and site-by-site descriptions of parks, beaches, rivers, wetlands, coastal towns and cities, missions, museums, and other coastal resources; detailed information on the habitats, wildlife, and history of each site are included, as well as its address, and, where applicable, the phone number. Copiously illustrated, accessible, and above all, entertaining, this book is an indispensable reference guide for residents and vacationers as well as a fun book to browse in for anyone interested in California's coast.

The only book that provides a comprehensive but concise overview and guide to practice under the California Coastal Act. Offers a clear understanding of current substantive standards and procedures¿including how development along the coast is defined, where it may be permitted and under what substantive and procedural standards, and how jurisdiction over planning for development and conservation in coastal areas is determined. Practice tips throughout the book suggest ways to work effectively with Coastal Commission staff and present cases to the Commission.Navigating the California Coastal Act is intended for planners and officials at local, state, and federal agencies, as well as property owners, real estate developers, attorneys and judges, interested citizen activists, and students.Topics include:¿The Coastal Commission¿its qualifications, organization, and role in implementation of the Coastal Act¿The Local Coastal Program¿its purposes, processes, and common issues¿Coastal development permit requirements¿types of permits, and emerging or recurring issues¿The Coastal Commission hearing and appeal process¿Interpreting and applying Coastal Act standards¿Other relevant agencies and laws¿Enforcement of the Coastal Act¿Judicial reviewAppendices contain a glossary of terms and summaries of key legal cases.

“The San Francisco Bay Shoreline Guide takes us on a walking and cycling journey around San Francisco Bay, unfolding the wonder, drama and beauty of one of the great estuaries of the world.”--Robert Redford "From the bustling waterfronts of our cities and towns, to our wild, windswept, and thankfully, protected natural wetlands, this is our fantastic guide to all of the magnificence of the San Francisco Bay Shoreline. Grab it and go on world-class journeys in our own backyard. I'll see you along the trail!"--Doug McConnell, Television Producer and Reporter “This guide helps to create an awareness and appreciation of San Francisco Bay.”--Sylvia McLaughlin, co-founder of Save the Bay Praise from the previous edition "There are absorbing stories here for the armchair reader and detailed guides for the active explorer. Read, enjoy, and cultivate your roots in the region."—Harold Gilliam "Comprehensive and copiously illustrated, this Guide is a treasure-house of user-friendly information. It reveals the equivalent of a national park hitherto unknown in our midst."—Margot Patterson Doss "This book is a complete guide to the Bay Area. All that's missing are the smells, so perhaps the next edition should be scratch and sniff."—Robin Williams

With over 40,000 described species, spiders have adapted to nearly every terrestrial environment across the globe. Over half of the world’s spider families live within the three contiguous Pacific Coast states—not surprising considering the wide variety of habitats, from mountain meadows and desert dunes to redwood forests and massive urban centers. This beautifully illustrated, accessible guide covers all of the families and many of the genera found along the Pacific Coast, including introduced species and common garden spiders. The author provides readers with tools for identifying many of the region’s spiders to family, and when possible, genus and species. He discusses taxonomy, distribution, and natural history as well as what is known of the habits of the spiders, the characters of families, and references to taxonomic revisions of the pertinent genera. Full-color plates for each family bring to life the incredible diversity of this ancient arachnid order.

An introduction to the behavior and natural history of California's birds, organized by their habitats.

An epic, gloriously illustrated journey up and down California's shoreline California's coastline is world famous, an endless source of fascination and fantasy, but there is no book about it like this one. Obi Kaufmann, author-illustrator of The California Field Atlas and The Forests of California, now turns his attention to the 1,200 miles of the Golden State where the land meets the ocean. Bursting with color, The Coasts of California is in Kaufmann's signature style, fusing science with art and pure poetic reverie. And much more than a survey of tourist spots, Coasts is a full immersion into the astonishingly varied natural worlds that hug California's shoreline. With hundreds of gorgeous watercolor maps and illustrations, Kaufmann explores the rhythms of the tides, the lives of sea creatures, the shifting of rocks and sand, and the special habitats found on California's islands. At the book's core is an expansive, detailed walk down the California Coastal Trail, including maps of parks along the way--a wealth of knowledge for any coast-lover. The Coasts of California is a geographic epic, an odyssey in nature, a grand and glorious book for a grand and glorious part of the world.

An indispensible guide to coastal foraging and fishing in the intertidal regions of our Northern California coast where fish, small and large, plus abalone and many other tasty items can be found

How to use this book -- Heavy body/large lips -- Bulbous, spiny-headed bottom dwellers -- Eels & eal-like bottom-dwellers -- Elongated bottom-dwellers -- Flatfish/bottom dwellers -- Odd-shaped bottom dwellers -- Odd-shaped & other swimmers -- Silvery swimmers -- Sharks & rays -- Common name index -- Scientific name index -- Personal record of fish sightings.