Treehuggers International » California Coastal Commission

Fireworks Over La Jolla Cove

tommy — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:17:44 +0000

Environmental attorney Marco Gonzalez is the co-founder of the Coast Law Group and the Executive Director of CERF, the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, and has been in the vanguard in the fight against fireworks displays over the beaches at La Jolla Cove.

Mr. Gonzalez and his team have also been active in pointing out the willingness of elected officials, and even the pubic, to turn a blind eye to blatant violations of state and federal clean water and clean air laws.

Smoke from the 2011 La Jolla fireworks drifts lazily in the thick air.

Retired Ranger Steve Long Reflects On the Lessons of Trestles

daley — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:57:41 +0000

Heading Home: The Bush Commerce Department granted Trestles an 11th hour reprieve.

In the end, when it came, it was a whimper.

December’s U.S. Commerce Department decision essentially ended the TCA’s bid to build a toll road at San Onofre State Beach and Trestles, and served as a reprieve for one of Southern California’s most popular coastal destinations. For the Southern California surfing and environmental community, which fought so hard to keep the TCA’s designs on the park at bay, the decision was a reinforcement of the watershed California Coastal Commission decision in February 2008.

While greeted with relief, the federal decision was something of an anti-climactic postscript, marking the end of a hard, ultimately rewarding year fighting to keep Southern California’s greatest surfing destination, cleanest and most intact watershed, and miles of wild coastal backcountry free of a toll road which only developers believed was necessary and only the truly committed believed could really be beaten back.

Part of the anti-climactic nature of the ruling came from the fact no one ever believed Carlos Gutierrez, President Bush’s Commerce Secretary, would seriously validate the Coastal Commission’s findings by denying the TCA a construction permit. As a result, many surfers and activists had already made their peace with the park and their efforts to save it, and had steeled themselves for the worst.

When the announcement came, at Trestles, there were no shouts of joy or the back-slapping satisfaction of a hard-fought battle won: the waves crashed, the gulls cried, San Mateo Creek flowed, and surfers went about their sport as they have for decades.

One man who was there from the beginning of the park itself, and eventually, the toll road designs which fell upon San Onofre’s backcountry, is retired California State Parks ranger, surfer, and Senior Advisor to the San Onofre Foundation, Steve Long, who spent almost his entire outdoor career with the Orange Coast District of California State Parks.

Having spent 34 years watching over Trestles and the San Onofre backcountry in the service of the citizens of California, Steve Long is now leading the way in shaping the future of the park and what will happen after the state’s lease with the Navy Department runs out in 2021.

Retired from state duty, Steve offers an insider’s perspective and a fascinating glimpse into his time on the job and the battles behind the long-proposed toll road at San Onofre, which he justifiably calls “a world treasure.”

One of the cleanest watersheds in Southern California, San Mateo Creek at Trestles.

Commerce Department Hearing Regarding Trestles: Monday, September 22nd, Del Mar Fairgrounds

tommy — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:58:39 +0000

The Department of Commerce hearing regarding the proposed southern extension of the Foothill South 241 toll road at San Onofre State Beach and Trestles is Monday, September 22nd, from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm. The hearing will be held at the same place as the California Coastal Commission hearing in February: O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Turnout is EXTREMELY important.

If you would like to speak at the hearing, you must submit a written request via U.S. mail or a commercial carrier to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration by THIS FRIDAY, September 12th. Requests after this date will be disqualified by the Commerce Department, and requests submitted by fax, e-mail or voicemail will, for whatever reason, not be accepted. Submit your written request NOW if you wish to speak.

While crucial issues include retaining the integrity of California State Parks and keeping a six-lane freeway out of the San Onofre State Beach and the intact San Mateo Creek watershed ~ which makes up the bulk of the San Onofre backcountry and empties onto Trestles Beach ~ the message is simple: SAVE TRESTLES.

Like Eddie Vedder says, "Save Trestles."

On September 22nd from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm at O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the fight to save Trestles goes from being a state matter to a federal matter. The Orange County Transportation Corridors Agency has been appealing the state Coastal Commission’s denial of a permit to build the toll road through the park to the federal government, so this will be our only opportunity to tell the Commerce Department we want our state parks and intact watersheds to be left intact.

Send a brief, polite letter or postcard asking to speak at the Commerce Department public hearing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on September 22nd. Be sure to indicate you are speaking only for yourself, not an organization. Put a stamp on it and mail it to:

Mr. Thomas Street
NOAA Office of General Counsel for Ocean Services
1305 East-West Highway
Room 6111
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Even if you don’t want to speak at the hearing, take a vacation day or a personal day and come to the public hearing on Monday, September 22nd, from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm. As was the case with the February hearing, turnout is EXTREMELY important.

Rogue Wave supports the Save Trestles campaign.

The proposed Foothill South 241 toll road through the San Onofre backcountry won’t just compromise the surfing quality, clean water, and wild character of Trestles, it will also throw into jeopardy long-protected Native American burial and cultural sites at Panhe, close miles of backcountry trails, force the closure of the San Mateo Campground, further dissect wildlife habitat area and corridors into ever-smaller pockets, and set a terrible precedent for the disposability of parks and protected places.

Interestingly, according to a July 15th article in the Orange County Register, toll road supporter Congressman Gary Miller of California’s 42nd District (Brea/Mission Viejo) has a financial stake in seeing the Foothill South 241 toll road built through San Onofre. Coincidence?

Also, a rebuttal from the Transportation Corridors Agency in the North County Times on July 27th seems to take the position whatever wild character the backcountry of San Onofre State Beach may still retain isn’t worthy of the protection it was originally granted. Why? Because it’s not 100% wilderness; therefore, by the TCA’s logic, it’s okay to build a six-lane toll road through it. Of course, who said San Onofre State Beach or Trestles was ever intended to be managed as wilderness? Not the point, fellas (but then you knew that anyway). Unfortunately, the original sin proposition of building a toll road through a state park in the first place is not addressed..

Click on the video below to see former Carmel mayor Clint Eastwood talk about why Trestles and San Onofre State Beach need to be saved and preserved, as was the case when the park was set aside by Governor Reagan in 1971.

Trestles Update

tommy — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:13:31 +0000

Back in February you helped the California Coastal Commission take the advice of its staff and vote 8-2 against the proposed toll road through San Onofre State Beach. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end of the story, as the Orange County Transportation Corridor Agency quickly filed fresh papers to appeal the decision with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and successfully pressured Governor Schwarzenegger to remove actor Clint Eastwood and Schwarzenegger’s brother-in-law Bobby Shriver from the California State Park and Recreation Commission, which has long opposed the proposed freeway project through San Onofre State Beach. Stay tuned, the fight isn’t over yet to keep the Foothill-South 241 toll road out of the backcountry of San Onofre and the Trestles-fed San Mateo Creek.

Arnold Sacks San Onofre Supporters (and lots more)

tommy — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:14:36 +0000

You achieved a monumental, benchmark success in the fight to keep San Onofre State Beach and Trestles wild and clean at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on February 3rd, helping the California Coastal Commission take the advice of its staff and vote 8-2 against the proposed toll road through San Onofre State Beach. However, despite the victory, it’s the only the end of a chapter, and Arnold’s follow-up move, likely made at the behest of developers, was an ominous surprise.Shortly after the California Coastal Commission rendered their decision, the Orange County Transportation Corridor Agency quickly filed papers to appeal with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and successfully pressured Governor Schwarzenegger to remove actor Clint Eastwood and Schwarzenegger’s brother-in-law Bobby Shriver from the Calfornia State Park and Recreation Commission, which has long opposed the project through San Onofre State Beach. Stay tuned, the fight isn’t over to keep the Foothill-South 241 toll road out of the backcountry of San Onofre and the Trestles-fed San Mateo Creek.

Meanwhile, Micah Mitrosky from the Sierra Club‘s Smart Energy Solutions campaign is reminding the hundreds of people interested in stopping the controversial Sunrise Powerlink line to attend upcoming Volunteer Mobilization Meetings to learn about simple things everyone can do to help protect local communities, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the Cleveland National Forest from the Sunrise Powerlink.

Many thanks to Robin Rierdan, Michele Sawaya, and Cindy Collins of Lakeside’s River Park Conservancy for a tour of the conservancy’s trails, and for linking Treehuggers International on the conservancy’s website.

Former San Diego fire chief Jeff Bowman and the California Chaparral Institute‘s Rick Halsey have been in the news lately as the San Diego Regional Fire Safety Forum issued its list of recommendations regarding the 2007 Wildfires.

Also, Kama Dean and Pro Peninsula scored front-page real estate in the January 19th edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Read the article HERE.

Governor Sides With Toll Road Politicians and Developers

tommy — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:04:00 +0000

Revised! New location: California Coastal Commission hearing at Wyland Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds February 6th, 2008 at 9:00 am. This is open to the public!

Governor Schwarzenegger has opted to side with the Orange County Transportation Corridor Agency for the construction of the Foothill-South 241 toll road through the backcountry of San Onofre State Park and Beach, site of Trestles world-famous surf break. Issuing a letter in favor of the project, the Governor calls the toll road “essential,” even though few if anyone will be using this toll road. Even the California Coastal Commission‘s own staff determined this to be a bad deal for the environmental health of Southern California, not to mention setting a dangerous precedent about the disposability of state parks.

“It’s difficult to imagine a more environmentally damaging location.” - California Coastal Commission

The watershed of San Mateo Creek, which runs through the backcountry of San Onofre State Park and Beach, is one of the last intact watersheds in all of Southern California, and is responsible for the unique surf break at Trestles. Do we really need a freeway going through here?

SAVE TRESTLES! Join us Wednesday, February 6th at 9:00 am at Wyland Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the California Coastal Commission’s official hearing on the application to construct the Foothill-South toll road through San Onofre State Park by the Orange County Transportation Corridor Agency. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

If you’d like to read the Governor’s letter to the chairman of the California Coastal Commission, click HERE.

For additional information and to hear Surfrider’s Stefanie Sekich speaking about the need to save Trestles on the November 25th edition of Treehuggers International, go to the Treehuggers International page at the FM 94/9 website by clicking HERE. A new all-Trestles edition of Treehuggers International, featuring Stefanie Sekich, surfer and biologist Pat Zabrocki, and concerned area citizens and surfers, will air on FM 94/9 Sunday morning February 3rd at 5:30 am, and will be on-line for streaming shortly thereafter on FM 94/9‘s webpage.

Eventually I’ll be getting my FM 94/9 Treehuggers International shows backed up here as MP3 files, so keep checking back, and in the meantime you can hear all the San Diego shows HERE. SAVE TRESTLES!

(map courtesy of the Orange County Register)