Coastal Commission is Coming to Town! Make Your Voices Heard.
On July 11 the Coastal Commission will be meeting in SLO to take comments regarding the coastal permit for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. Plans put forth by State Parks have the potential to adversely impact Oso Flaco Lake’s environment (flora & fauna); threaten destruction of habitat and endangered species (including Snowy Plover and Least Tern); and allow for repeated violations of federal and state conservation laws (Endangered Species Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and Coastal Act).
It is now time to speak up for protection of endangered wildlife and in favor of conservation of natural resources and passive recreational use of the dunes and Oso Flaco Lake.
The Commission meeting begins at 9AM on Thursday, July 11th (arrive by 8AM to get a seat), at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 333 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo. Agenda Item 12A will be a review of the off-road area coastal permit. Hearing Procedures
The Commission Staff Report (please read Summary, pages 1-6, of 65 page report) recommends a number of interim measures to protect coastal resources and ways to begin phasing out off-road vehicle activity while transitioning the park to other public uses.
The off-road vehicle advocates will be out in force at this Coastal Commission meeting.
Those of us who want to protect the Guadalupe/Nipomo Dunes and Oso Flaco Lake also need to be there. Please either show up to speak up at the meeting (pro-conservation voices will be wearing dark green), support those who do speak, or e-mail your comments (select Thursday, JULY 11, scroll down to Item 12, then click on Submit Comment) to the Commission by 5:00 PM, Friday, July 5th.
Please speak in support of the staff report recommendations and vision for the park. Please also voice your opposition to State Parks’ February 2019 Public Works Plan (PWP) to turn the area around Oso Flaco Lake into a campground and junior ATV track. This would decimate an environmentally sensitive habitat area, degrade a high-use passive recreation area, and would not be consistent with the Coastal Act.
