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Welcome to the newport Mooring Association
12 16 2025 SLC Meeting Update
What happened?
Summary: State Lands Commission (SLC) Adopted Tidelands Management Review Despite Widespread Stakeholder Concerns
Key Takeaways:
- Transferability of mooring permits "may" violate state law, SLC recommends ending transfers
- December 2023 Netzer Appraisal may be relied upon for setting rates
On December 16, 2025, the SLC voted to adopt its staff report on the City of Newport Beach’s management of tidelands in Newport Harbor. This decision came despite nearly unanimous requests from harbor stakeholders urging the Commission to revise the report to include critical information and ensure an equitable outcome for mooring permit holders.
While Commission staff acknowledged significant existing disparities in rates among different tidelands users, the report does not require the City to address the existing and even more disparate rates mooring permit holders will face if the City proceeds with plans to confiscate legally acquired mooring tackle and permits and convert them into high-cost, short-term, non-transferable mooring licenses.
Instead, the report focuses heavily on how the Mooring Permit transfer program "may" violate state law, while acknowledging that other transferable tidelands permits should contribute more to the tidelands fund. It would seem logical and equitable that if other tidelands users within Newport Harbor retain permit transferability, mooring permittees should as well. Alternatively, the City could consider ways to phase out transfers which recognize that current mooring permit holders were only following the City’s established rules when they acquired their mooring permits. State Lands Commission staff is not taking a position on whether compensation should be provided to current mooring permittees, as was suggested by the City’s Potential Mooring Buyback Project from 2022.
Potential solutions— raised repeatedly by the mooring community — were not meaningfully analyzed prior to adoption of the report.
Key Timestamps
00:29 - Staff Presentation
15:00 - Staff Comments on Transferability of Moorings
19:04 - Public Comments Begin
1:02:49 - Final Commissioner Comments
Join Us!
How you can help
If you value your mooring permit and continued equitable & affordable access to Newport Harbor, please consider donating whatever amount you can to help support crucial independent legal research to protect mooring holders’ rights and ensure fair treatment under state law.
NMA Zelle: mail@newportmooringassociation.org
12/11/2025 State Lands Commission Report Threatens Mooring Community
On December 16, 2025, Staff of the California State Lands Commission (SLC) will present Report 105, which evaluates Newport Beach's management of public trust tidelands, specifically focusing on mooring permits and residential pier permits.
Key Issues in the Report
Transferability to End: The Commission staff concludes that Newport Beach's mooring permit transfer program, which has allowed our community to maintain affordable access to the harbor for decades, "appears to violate" the City's grant statutes and fiduciary obligations. Staff recommends the City eliminate the transfer program that has served California boaters for decades.
Affordability Crisis: The report dismisses affordability concerns of the Netzer appraisal, stating the methodology for rates is reasonable. The report claims the current transferability system isn't "low-cost" due to the substantial up-front cost for mooring permits on a private market. This is despite SLC Staff also acknowledging that the current program has lower annual rates, which the NMA has argued allows long-term affordability for boaters.
Concerns for the Mooring Community:
Inequitable Treatment: The report acknowledges that residential pier rates are "significantly below market rates" and rental area calculations don't reflect actual pier usage. However, it proposes no immediate action on pier rates, and suggests that the City will have six months to a year to address private pier rates.
The report does nothing to address the discrimination between public mooring holders and yacht club/association moorings, which were given different proposed rate adjustment timelines by the City.
Meanwhile, mooring rates have been regularly reappraised and increased for years. The Commission’s report fails to explain why moorings in Newport face immediate action on transferability, despite multiple other transferability programs existing over tidelands both in Newport Harbor and in other harbors/areas along the California coast.
Inadequate Public Process: This final report was released with minimal time for community review before a critical Commission vote. The complexity of these issues demands more thorough public engagement, not rushed proceedings.
Disproportionate Enforcement: After decades of City management with full Commission knowledge, mooring permit holders now face threats of drastically increased rates while documented pier rental programs have enjoyed lower rates for decades and are not subject to immediate action.
What's at Stake:
If adopted, this report could force swift changes to the mooring transfer program. This would fundamentally alter coastal access to Newport Harbor in ways that disproportionately and negatively impact the mooring community.
The NMA Position:
We support fair market rates for ALL tideland users. Implementation of changes to the tidelands management must be equitable. Any concerns related to the management of mooring and dock permittees must be addressed simultaneously.
The Commission should not accept a report that recommends immediate enforcement action for one group while merely suggesting future review for another.
Update: SLC to Consider accepting Newport Harbor Tidelands management Report at 12/16/25 Meeting
The final report will be posted on the State Lands Commission (SLC) website once it is available.
The State Lands Commission’s own "Draft" of their Report identified serious risks of Constitutional violations, breaches of fiduciary duties, and unequal treatment of public trust users in Newport Harbor. The final version is not yet available, but approving the Report without correction would legitimize policies that unfairly target mooring permit holders while allowing preferential treatment for other tidelands users. For example, the Report as it was originally written will allow for mooring rate increases of up to 500% + and a reduction in mooring holder rights and access. The NMA is urging the Commission to pause approval and require meaningful revisions to protect public trust rights, legal compliance, and fair access to the harbor
Draft Report of Tidelands Management Review
Draft Report: Newport Beach's Public Trust Lands Management
The Newport Mooring Association is carefully analyzing the California State Lands Commission’s draft report. While it highlights important issues of inequity between docks and moorings, we are concerned about aspects such as the reliance on the Netzer appraisal and the view that mooring transferability violates the Public Trust Doctrine—an interpretation that we believe does not accurately reflect this long-standing practice in many harbors. We see this as an opportunity to work collaboratively with the City of Newport Beach, homeowners, and the State to ensure fairness, transparency, and continued access to Newport Harbor for all. For additional information, please see the SLC Staff presentation at approx. 33 minutes 24 seconds into the recording: https://cal-span.org/meeting/cslc_20250821/
September 10, 2025 Harbor Commission Meeting
The Newport Mooring Association was invited to give a presentation to the Harbor Commission on our current perspective and concerns. Our goal was to share background, history, and community perspectives on the mooring program. We want to highlight the importance of continuing to show up, participate, and document these meetings. For those who were unable to attend, the meeting recording is available on our YouTube Channel
2025 Membership Update Meeting
Member Meeting June 19th @ 6:00pm
Please join us on Thursday, June 19th @ 6:00pm for a brief update on the moorings in Newport Harbor. RSVP here to get the link.
What's going on with moorings right now?
The Newport Mooring Association is dedicated to Preserving Affordable Harbor Access by advocating for Fair Mooring Rates and Equitable Terms.
UPDATE:
On February 5, 2025, the California Coastal Commission denied Coastal Development Permit 5-23-0753, which was submitted by the City of Newport Beach to relocate already dense public moorings even closer together, while exempting exclusive yacht club moorings. The Commissioners based their denial on concerns over public safety and the City's lack of meaningful engagement with affected stakeholders. Additionally, Commissioners raised significant concerns about the preferential treatment of yacht club-controlled moorings compared to public mooring fields within Newport Harbor.
The NMA appreciates the Coastal Commissioners’ commitment to prioritizing public safety and equitable access in their review and denial of Coastal Development Permit 5-23-0753. We also value the Commissioners’ recognition of the importance of ensuring Newport Harbor remains a resource for all Californians. Looking ahead, the NMA hopes to engage in collaborative decision-making with City leaders to address mooring-related issues, explore solutions that enhance access, and uphold the safe and equitable use of our shared harbor.
Key Issues Facing Mooring Holders - February 2025
- Threat to Low-Cost Mooring Permits: Resolution 2024-47, passed by the Newport Beach City Council on July 9, 2024 but currently on hold, seeks to convert low-cost mooring permits into short-term, high- cost, city-owned licenses, jeopardizing the long-standing system that provides affordable harbor access for permittees. NMA opposes the conversion of low-cost moorings to high-cost City licenses.
- Loss of Transferability: If enacted, the resolution would strip mooring holders of their right to transfer their moorings within four years, significantly devaluing mooring permits and undermining permittee rights.
- Rate Structure Discrepancy Under Review: The State Lands Commission (SLC) is examining Newport's mooring rates, with the SLC Executive Officer noting a stark discrepancy between mooring fees and other harbor rates, emphasizing the need for equitable pricing.
Help us help you
Visit our membership page to learn how your support through membership and donations is essential to helping protect affordable coastal access through moorings.
Thank you for your continued help and support!
Your NMA Directors
Advocating for the interests of all mooring permittees
Newport Mooring Association
P.O. Box 1118, Newport Beach, CA 92659
Contact us at mail@newportmooringassociation.org