CoastWatcher

Ed. Note: Bob Sumner and his wife Nickie only sought a quiet beach experience.  Instead they were treated to one of California’s appalling open secrets:  thousands of vechicles destroying sensitive coastal resources and endangered species night and day, day after day, at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.  ODSVRA, which for years has been considered a rules and nature free environmental destruction area by California Dept. of State Parks, is the most regrettable, obnoxious beach experience in the state.

And as reported by Coastal Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas, the situation isn’t about to change soon.   Just this week Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his plan to eliminate California Dept. State Parks and close nearly all state parks — EXCEPT ODSVRA.  That is wat it has come to:  State parks dedicated to nature and pollution free recreation are to be shuttered while ODSVRA, dedicated to destruction of the coast, killing off endangered species and heating the planet, will go on business as usual.

Family who had ‘nightmare’ vacation near Pier Avenue in Oceano told to go someplace else next time

Bob Cuddy – San Luis Obispo Tribune
Beach days are here,and here’s a swift kick in the pail and shovel from a top coastal protector to those looking for a family vacation experience near Pier Avenue in Oceano:
Go someplace else. The vehicles have taken over. “Without intending to be cavalier about your concerns … I suggest you find another area for your next vacation,” Peter Douglas, executive director of the California Coastal Commission, wrote in a letter to a couple from San Jose who had a nightmare experience at the beach.

“P.S.,” Douglas added, “unfortunately, I have given this same advice to others who have had similar reactions and experiences to yours.”

The house Bob and Nickie Sumner rented in Oceano is less than a block from the Pier Avenue entrance to the Oceano Dunes. Instead of peace and quiet, they spent a week watching vehicles stream by on the beach. Tribune photo by Joe Johnston Read the rest of this entry »

Lick Litter by Pounding Butt Flickers!

Think you know about pollution, about litter, about cigarettes and smokers? Ever seen someone smoking while driving and flick a cigarette butt out the window? Or standing on the street smoking and flick one into the gutter? Turns out that billions of people are doing the same thing with trillions of cigarette butts annually!!

The BUTTsOut organization has a few facts on its side in calling cigarette butts the world’s worst litter problem…… Read the rest of this entry »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Mark Massara
Sierra Club Coastal Programs
Phone: (805) 895-0963
Email: Mark.Massara@sierraclub.org

Angela Howe
Surfrider Foundation
Phone: (510) 541-0677
Email: ahowe@surfrider.org

CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSIONER VOTING RECORDS REVEALED and EXPLAINED

Voting Records Analyzed In Connection With Upcoming Appointments

Sacramento, CA (May 15, 2009) – Today marks the release of the 2008 California Coastal Commission Conservation Voting Chart, which measures the pro-conservation scores of the California Coastal Commission, the State’s most powerful land use agency, charged with the protecting our 1,100 mile coastline.  The voting chart is produced by Sierra Club Coastal Programs, Surfrider Foundation, California Coastkeeper Alliance, Coastwalk California, Coastal Protection Network, and League for Coastal Protection, who teamed up to record, analyze and report on the most important coastal votes of 2008.  The 31 votes in this year’s chart involve significant coastal issues decided by the Commission during their twelve monthly meetings in 2008, including the denial of the proposed 241 toll road through San Onofre State Park, and approval of the largest desalination facility in North America.  The voting chart is designed to illuminate individual Commissioners’ voting sensitivities.  In addition, the report illustrates the relative successes and failures of the appointments made by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate Rules Committee led by Don Perata, and then Speaker of the Assembly Fabián Nuñez.  The scoring information in the 2008 chart also sheds light on upcoming Commission appointments in 2009, including seats currently held by Commissioners Ben Hueso and Dave Potter.

To download a copy of the complete analysis, go to www.sierraclub.org/ca/coasts/ Read the rest of this entry »