CA Coastal Commission to revoke [ALL] OHV access to Pismo Dunes

rayra

Expedition Leader
Just have to get out before they crater the State's economy or institute an exit tax. This snowball if just starting to accelerate downhill. They've corrupted the voter rolls, essentially have one party rule and a super majority to pass their average 900 bills per year. And as soon as they can finally circumvent Prop 13 and start really ramping up property taxes, the middle class will be crucified here. CA will become Mexico City writ large. Walked communities for the privately guarded socialist elites and nothing else but peons. Hell this state will blow right past that benchmark and head straight for the favelas of Brazil.
 

Mike W.

Well-known member
And the difference between Communism and Socialism is? I have an idea..if they ban beach traffic I propose they build a huge wind farm right along the beach..Nothing about any of this is environmental..Its all about having the ability to build more condos...
 

shade

Well-known member
And the difference between Communism and Socialism is? I have an idea..if they ban beach traffic I propose they build a huge wind farm right along the beach..Nothing about any of this is environmental..Its all about having the ability to build more condos...
It very well could be.

A mandate for changing use restrictions should include a moratorium on any development on the land. Adding a sunset clause to push the ban for at least 20 years might also cool down any developers.
 

Mike W.

Well-known member
I went to Cal Poly back from 80 thru 83..Have used the dunes since about 74..It hasn't changed other than the reasons to close it down. If you believe its about the environment you should do some historical background research. Check on who funds the impact studies and the money behind them.

I see the are going all in and claiming beach use damages minorities in the community..No beach access will destroy minorities in the community..that's also part of the plan..its all about dollars..always has been.
 

shade

Well-known member
I went to Cal Poly back from 80 thru 83..Have used the dunes since about 74..It hasn't changed other than the reasons to close it down. If you believe its about the environment you should do some historical background research. Check on who funds the impact studies and the money behind them.

I see the are going all in and claiming beach use damages minorities in the community..No beach access will destroy minorities in the community..that's also part of the plan..its all about dollars..always has been.
Has anyone had success with keeping access open by trying to out-close the Closers? If it's so important to close it to motorized vehicles, maybe it should be declared a wilderness area and ban all human activity. The developers wouldn't care for that.
 

Mike W.

Well-known member
How well do you know the area. Its the land fronting the beach access that holds the value. Small businesses, RV parks and vacation rentals that would be devastated by closing the beach.

The community as a whole would suffer but the investors would strive..Same old California story.
 

shade

Well-known member
I know the area well enough that I wouldn't bother hoping to stumble onto a free campsite like I do in so many other areas.

It'll be a shame if developers move in, but you may be right about it only being a matter of when.
 

chet6.7

Explorer
In Morro Bay, they closed access to some dunes by the high school,built a development called the Cloisters,right next to the dunes,made a park and trail,I think this is the model that will be used.Build some high end homes,fence off habitat next to the homes(they need good views) and put a trail in to placate the unwashed.
Note the fenced off dunes,those used to be open to the public.
 

Mike W.

Well-known member
They didn't kill the golden goose..Amazing for the great almost 3rd world state but as I stated early in the tread..It wasn't going to happen. It's not over by a long shot now the coastal commission will chip away. Unless the state makes a sharp right turn the beach access will slowly slip away..Enjoy and may the train to nowhere thrive..
 

chet6.7

Explorer
The Wuhan Virus house arrest may put some of the data used to shut the dunes down into question.



Coronavirus shutdown shows dust on the Nipomo Mesa science is flawed
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By KAREN VELIE
Excessive dust days have more than doubled since RVs and off-road vehicles were barred from the Oceano Dunes, data from two Nipomo Mesa air quality monitoring sites show. California State Parks closed the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area to all off-road and recreational vehicles on March 28 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The air quality data called into question the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District’s theory, disputed by California state scientists, that off-road riding activities cause high dust levels detected on the Nipomo Mesa. This theory generally ignores that Oceano Dunes lies within a larger complex of coastal sand dunes created by wind blowing sand from the shoreline.
For years, the APCD and Nipomo Mesa residents have clashed with state parks and off-road vehicle riders over the cause of dust in the air at the Nipomo Mesa. Both sides agree strong westerly winds blowing over the sand dunes transport dust to the mesa.
In 2018, California State Parks entered into a stipulated order of abatement with the APCD. The agreement mandates that the state reduce wind-blown dust, specifically dust particles that are 10 microns or less in diameter, on the Nipomo Mesa by 50 percent. Despite agreeing to the various terms in the agreement, state parks still denies that off-roading causes the dust on the mesa
The primary goal of the agreement is to ensure that concentrations of dust measured on the mesa stay within federal and state standards, as measured at two of the APCD’s air monitoring sites on the mesa, which are known as “CDF – Arroyo Grande” and “Nipomo-Guadalupe Road.”
Overall, the state has spent approximately $14 million in tax payer revenue in the last 10 years to reduce dust concentrations on the mesa. The state covered more than 150 acres of dune sand with vegetation or orange plastic fencing. Additional dune-covering projects are anticipated in the coming months and years, under the theory that the obstructions would help reduce dust produced by the blowing sand.
In January, State Parks Director Lisa Mangat shut down approximately half of the camping area and about 5 percent of the riding area at the Oceano Dunes, or approximately 50 acres near the shoreline. The area was popular with campers, and provided 50 percent of the park’s camping availability.
CalCoastNews examined archived data from wind and dust measurements collected from the two Nipomo Mesa air quality monitoring sites to determine if State Parks’ mandated efforts along with the closure of the park in March would lead to a reduction in dust concentrations.
Specifically, reporters examined the number of daily exceedances of state and federal air quality standards during the month of May for the past six years at the two monitoring sites. The CDF site is approximately 2.5 miles from the dune shoreline, on the southwest edge of Nipomo Mesa. The Nipomo-Guadalupe Road site is about four miles from the shore, on the lower edge of the mesa. Agricultural lands lie between the coastal dunes and the Nipomo Mesa.
The parameters were chosen because May is typically the windiest month in south San Luis Obispo County, and 2015 predates the various dune-covering operations undertaken by State Parks.
Wind data indicates that May’s average wind speed at the two monitoring sites has varied little from year to year. At the CDF site, the May winds average at about 5 miles per hour, and at the Nipomo-Guadalupe Road site, the winds are slightly stronger, averaging about 5.5 miles per hour.
The number of exceedances of California’s air quality standard for airborne dust tells a different story. At both of the air monitoring stations, a substantially greater number of May exceedances occurred this year compared to the other years, even though there have been no recreational vehicles on the dunes; and the month of May has not yet ended.
For example, at the CDF site in May 2019, there were six exceedances, but this year, as of May 22, the exceedances have doubled to 12. At the Nipomo-Guadalupe Road site in May 2019, there were only three exceedances, but as of May 22, exceedances have nearly quadrupled to 11.
As part of the agreement, a panel of scientific advisors, known as the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), was formed to assist in the design and implementation of the various dune-covering projects. The SAG is led by William Nickling, an emeritus professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
In apparent anticipation that continued high-dust days with no vehicle recreation in the dunes would cause confusion, on April 6, Dr. Nickling and other SAG members authored a memorandum regarding the vehicle closure at Oceano Dunes and possible changes in dune dust emissions.
“It is the opinion of the SAG that the accumulated impact of OHV [off highway vehicle] activity remains a significant contributor to observed PM [dust] emissions at ODSVRA, even during this period in which the ODSVRA is temporarily closed to recreational uses,” according to the memorandum. “The SAG acknowledges that the Oceano Dunes are a naturally dusty surface that would experience PM emissions even in the absence of human activity, especially during this spring windy season. But the SAG is also clearly aware that decades of OHV activity have fundamentally altered the natural beach-dune landscape, making the dunes significantly more susceptible to PM emissions than they would be in a natural state.”
However, the SAG memorandum fails to explain how the dunes have been “fundamentally altered” to emit more dust, and also why the SAG did not anticipate the number of state exceedances for dust to substantially increase in the absence of vehicle recreation on the dunes.
One theory is that the recreational vehicles that used to park on the dunes, helped obstruct the wind flow.
 

Mike W.

Well-known member
Amazing.. Hopefully the beach will open soon and the much dreaded beach blaster's can hurry back and clean up that nasty air..See a few good things will come from the shut down..
 

Mike W.

Well-known member
Buy a piece of property in the middle of sand dunes or down wind from it then complain about it? None of this is new! None of this will change! This has very little to do with the sand/dust. Be nice and close down the dunes. They will still blame the used for the dust 10, 15 and 20 years later. The locals will not spend their money to get large vacuum cleaners, vacuum up the sand dunes and dust. All very reasonable, Right!

OR

Get people with at least a ounce of brains, and point out the obvious to the people who bought there. It is like the people who buy a house at the end of a runway at a airport that has been their for 60 years. Then want the airport shut down because they do not like the noise. This seams to make sense, Right!

I was born in California and lived there for 63 years (minus vacation time in Viet Nam), again none of this is new. If you live there (Calif.) please stay their! I have a long history with land issues in my years living there. The years since I have left California have been much better!

If you want to save the much smaller play ground you have today. Spend a lot of money, go to meetings, do all of the work to fight to keep it open for you and all of your friends. You may get some additional time to spend with your sand before it closes.

Do not let science get in the opinions.

Before you get upset much of this is just Satire.
Lots of California truth in your satire.
 

Wrathchild

Active member
Born and raised CA as well. Been away for 18 yrs or so. Unfortunately was sent back here the for the last two years. And thankfully on my way out next month. As amazing as the landscape is, unfortunately the general populous (ie: large urban areas) turn the whole place to $hit.
 

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