For decades, the Oceano Beach and dunes have been used for vehicular recreation and ATVs. These last five months, since the shelter-at-home order, a vehicle-free Oceano Beach has been a blessing for our community and entire South County. State Parks is completing a Public Works Plan (PWP) for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, which will impact the life of our community long into the future and is scheduled to be submitted to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) this coming October. The PWP cannot be implemented without the commission’s approval. The commission has found that the present management of the Oceano Dunes is out of compliance with the Coastal Act, the Local Coastal Plan, and its operational permit. It is fair and reasonable that the dunes stay vehicle-free until a sound and satisfactory plan for their management is decided. Reopening Oceano Beach and dunes to the pre-COVID-19 vehicular traffic would be folly under our present health emergency. The COVID threat from thousands of motorized tourists driving on our beach and dunes is not tolerable or safe for Oceano. We need to protect our hospital’s capacities from the number of injured that come in when the vehicles drive on our beach and dunes. We respectfully request that the area remains vehicle free until the PWP is released, approved, and certified by the California Coastal Commission.
Lucia Casalinuovo
president
Oceano Beach Community Association
This article appears in Sep 10-17, 2020.
Plenty of popular off roading areas have been open with no issue, including oregon’s coastal dunes, as well as glamis. Campgrounds are packed all throughout California with no concern. Oceano isn’t anything different. The locals uninterested in off road have a heavy agenda to close down the dunes, and seem to find any excuse in the book to justify their reasoning.
The dunes were made for walking and winging. Not drunk drivers careening and emergency room screaming. They dig holes and bury their oil. They dig holes and defacate. Get those hillbillies off our gorgeous dunes. And somebody prosecute state parks for their bird killing stunts and passerine bird nets!
The beach is so much better without the vehicles. The local and state governments have been pandering to a handful of ORV tourists and businesses at the expense of the local community. This beach is full of families, fishermen, parasailers, and surfers enjoying the peace and beauty of the beach. What is happening there now is much more sustainable than having sand freeway.
Over Labor Day weekend it was so wonderful to see all the families, kids, locals, and tourists enjoying our local Oceano beach. With a vehicle free beach we can grow a local, green, eco-tourist based economy which provides 100’s of local jobs. The County and State exploit Ocean like a third world country. If having vehicles on the beach is so cool and profitable, maybe Pismo should re-open its beaches to dune buggies and 400 hp 4×4’s?
5.5 miles out of 800 plus miles for use by OHVs. No other place to enjoy the sea, sand and surf without parking and walking. The only place to drive onto the sand to set up a campsite in all of California. I am not willing to deny OHV users any and all beach access from one end of the state to the other.
Beaches are not meant to be driven on, yet alone filled with campers, RV’s, trucks, etc.– That’s what campgrounds are for! Beaches are meant to be enjoyed for their natural beauty and proximity to the ocean. Beaches should used as places for pleasure, a place to relax, but also to be respected. Beaches provide habitat for wildlife, shore birds, etc., they were not intended to be abused by those who come and destroy, leaving tons of trash for others to clean up.
It is heartening to learn that residents and visitors alike, are able to enjoy the Oceano Dunes and beach without being in peril.
Tina Dickason,
Cambria, CA
If it was just camping on the beach it would be a different thing. It’s really about driving/racing dune buggies, dragsters, motorcycles, and quads all over the dunes destroying the habitat and polluting the air with dangerous dust. You are not telling the whole story
Once again Lucia is spouting SHIT that makes no sense. Stop trying to deny our recreation! I cant wait till next years in person coastal commission meetings so we can all tell you off!
The Oregon dunes are very limited and they are not the source of toxic dust emisssions that harm human health
Give em hell Andrew. Tell them what jerks they are. They love to hear stuff like that!