The Legislature finds and declares that:
(a)
The ports of the State of California, including the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, constitute one of the state’s primary economic and coastal resources and are an essential element of the national maritime industry.
(b)
The location of the commercial port districts within the State of California, including the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, are well established, and for many years such areas have been devoted to transportation and commercial, industrial, and manufacturing uses consistent with federal, state, and local regulations. Coastal planning requires no change in the number or
location of the established commercial port districts. Existing ports, including the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, should be encouraged to modernize and construct necessary facilities within their boundaries in order to minimize or eliminate the necessity for future dredging and filling to create new ports in new areas of the state.
(c)
Existing ports, including the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, should be encouraged to pursue development that contributes to the construction and deployment of offshore wind energy generation facilities, consistent with the policies of this division.
