OCEANSIDE — Oceanside has been named a “Blue City” by a Southern Californian organization dedicated to restoring and protecting ocean health.
Project O, a Laguna Beach-based nonprofit, certified Oceanside using an assessment to measure a city’s commitment to sustainability and marine conservation.
“We are proud to have the city of Oceanside recognized as the newest certified member of the Blue City Network by Project O,” Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez said in a statement. “With this recognition, Oceanside joins fourteen other California coastal cities in the network that demonstrate, through action, a strong commitment to protecting our coastline, conserving natural resources and serving as a community leader in sustainable practices.”
The city earned 430 points out of a possible 500, placing it in the “Ocean Hero Tier” – the highest level of achievement within the framework.
The organization said several projects and efforts gave Oceanside high scores, including becoming the first city in the county to construct an advanced water purification facility, opening the Green Oceanside Kitchen food recovery facility, and launching the RE:BEACH Oceanside project, a coastal resilience initiative intended to use nature-based solutions to combat coastal erosion.
“We’re honored to welcome Oceanside into the Blue City Network,” said Evelina Marchetti, chief operating officer of Project O. “This certification highlights Oceanside’s leadership and measurable progress in
protecting our ocean and waterways. We hope their example inspires other coastal cities to take bold environmental action.”
The Blue City Network Certification allows communities to track progress toward overall sustainability objectives.
Other regional certified Blue Cities include Encinitas, San Clemente and Solana Beach.
