Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun (BOPC)

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Description

The Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun (Board) has served the people of California since its creation in the first legislative session of the State of California in 1850. The Board licenses and regulates up to 60 maritime pilots (pilots) who guide ships of 750 gross tons or greater into and out of the Board’s jurisdiction, navigating through some of the most challenging waterway in the United States. This work supports the economic engine of California by facilitating the movement of billions of dollars of imports and exports through ports in the Bay Area ports, Sacramento and Stockton. Alongside the economic benefits that Board licensed pilots support, the Board’s emphasis on pilot training and safety helps ensure protection of California’s natural resources including the more than 1,000 miles of coastline and the associated waters within the Board’s jurisdiction.