Off-roading could be eliminated entirely in the Oceano Dunes by Jan. 1, 2026, if the California Coastal Commission votes to approve staff recommendations outlined in a report released on Feb. 18.
In the report, which will be discussed further at a hearing on March 18, Coastal Commission staff detail their proposals for the future of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), including recommendations to strengthen sensitive habitat conservation efforts while eliminating off-roading and most street-legal vehicle access in the park by 2026.
“The California Coastal Commission retains the ability to make changes to park operations through periodic review of its [coastal development permit] that temporarily authorized uses and intensities of use at the park in the 1980s,” the staff report reads, “and found most recently in 2019 that driving at the park has degraded dune habitats, harmed native species, caused air quality, and public health issues, and made it difficult for the public to walk, swim, and enjoy other non-vehicular activities at the beach and dunes.”
If passed, off-roading and most street-legal vehicle access in the SVRA would be phased out over the course of five years, a process that staff say could start as early as March 19 of this year. Only State Parks and emergency vehicles would be allowed on the beach as of 2026, except between West Grand and Pier avenues, where drive-up beach camping would continue indefinitely. After 2026, up to 500 street-legal vehicles will be allowed in the park each day in addition to those using the park’s 500 campsites. Any car staying overnight counts as one campsite. Currently there are 500 campsites in the park and 1,000 additional vehicles allowed in each day.
Nighttime vehicular activity would be prohibited, as would crossing the flowing Arroyo Grande Creek.
Coastal Commission staff also recommend closing the Pier Avenue vehicular entrance to the beach by July 1 of this year, restoring the area to a natural shoreline edge with biking, pedestrian, and equestrian access and the “typical beach area public access amenities.” A 300-acre breeding area for snowy plovers that is currently off limits to vehicles and visitors seasonally would be closed off permanently and other protective measures would be implemented.
“Although some park users will interpret the staff recommendation to mean that the park is being ‘closed,’” the staff report reads, “the park would very much be open as the recommendation is to eliminate [off-highway vehicle] use but also to allow other types of lower impact uses at the park, and ultimately to allow an opportunity for a new and reimagined park that is open to a variety of less intensive uses.”
The recommendations from Coastal Commission staff are in stark contrast to a draft public works plan released by State Parks in December 2020, which largely outlines State Parks’ intent to further develop portions of the Oceano Dunes SVRA and increase off-roading and camping activities in some areas. ∆
This article appears in Outdoors 2021.
This is outrageous and stupid!! Stop these morons at all costs!! The pismo dunes have always been a great place for one of a kind family recreation. For generations of Americans who love the ocean , riding the dunes, camping on the beach. It’s a rite of passage to preserve for generations of families to come. These elitist groups think they shut anything down by using the bogus arguments of some bird or bug or environment cause. They could care less about anything they site as endangered. They use this to shut down everything good that ppl enjoy from the pismo dunes to Mtn Trails for off-roading. I’m sick of it as all Americans should be & it’s time we stand up .& fight back!!! Don’t let these commmunist minded windbags shut anything else down. In fact let’s go the opposite route: let’s push & fight to expand the pismo dunes & off roading sites that we already have. Yes-you heard me right-expand them! Why not? We have more rights to them than these fake environmental wackos who are commmunist backed and don’t give a hoot about the birds/bugs/plants they’re pretending to protect. They use this propaganda to shut fun recreation sites down. There’s plenty of land for all these birds/bugs/plants to live & flourish on without depriving American families their rights to our lands. To enjoy them the way our creator intended. The way our constitution & Declaration of Independence intended. Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of HAPPINESS!!!
Stop this madness.
Kirk Williams PO Box 1507
Porterville, Ca. 93258
Eliminate freedom. That is what the goal is. Of course people who don’t off-road want those who do to stop. Just like people who don’t hunt want those who do to stop. Man! People who don’t engage in an activity are obviously the best qualified bunch to restrict the freedoms of those of us who do, right? (See “common sense” gun laws, see “healthy emission” laws, etc.). I don’t engage in almost all the things lately that I’m supposed to be “tolerant of”, but I’m not abolishing their existence. Our government is exceeding it’s allowed parameters. They are there to protect our freedoms not whimsically restrict them. This is why people leave California. VOTE THE DEMOCRAT MACHINE OUT OF THIS STATE. That party seeks to tell us what we can do, how we will do it and how much it will cost us to pay for what we don’t want, all while knowing we don’t want it and assuming we can do nothing about it. Wake up people, you won’t be off-roading the dunes today, but what next activity that you and your family do will de demonized as “unclean and environmentally unsound” and subsequently banned? Wear your mask, stay in your house, shut up, vote democratic…(they know better, right?)
Excellent article, excellent recommendation… It sounds like the agency is beginning to take intelligent long-term steps to protect habitat and still provide a wider variety of uses for the public. Bravo! As a native Central Coaster, we have enjoyed driving on the beach, but over the years I have also seen a large amount of poor behavior. It’s time for OHV to go elsewhere — there are enough places for OHVers to use in less biologically important places. And by the way, this has nothing to do with Dem or Repub dogma, it’s about keeping this unique beautiful coast something everyone, human and wildlife, will be able to enjoy for the future.