Friends of Oceano Dunes Urges Governor Davis to Review Beach Closures and Misuse of California Coastal Act.News Editors SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2002 Group Presents Over 22,000 Signatures To Keep Popular State Park Open to the Public Friends of Oceano Dunes, a non-profit organization A non-profit organization (abbreviated "NPO", also "non-profit" or "not-for-profit") is a legally constituted organization whose primary objective is to support or to actively engage in activities of public or private interest without any commercial or monetary profit purposes. , today presented Governor Gray Davis with petitions signed by more than 22,000 California residents -- the result of a grass roots grass roots pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) 1. People or society at a local level rather than at the center of major political activity. Often used with the. 2. The groundwork or source of something. campaign to keep the Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (ODSVRA ODSVRA Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (California) ) open to the public in its current state. Since its inception almost one year ago, the group has promoted a balanced approach to protecting the environment while maintaining the public's right to access. Over the past 20 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time ODSVRA has been under excessive scrutiny by the California Coastal Commission The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory influence over land use and public access in the California coastal zone. (CCC CCC A very speculative grade assigned to a debt obligation by a rating agency. Such a rating indicates default or considerable doubt that interest will be paid or principal repaid. Also called Caa. ). During that time, the CCC has manipulated the California Coastal Act to continuously amend a Department of Parks and Recreation permit -- originally issued to build kiosks, outhouses OUTHOUSES. Buildings adjoining to or belonging to dwelling-houses. 2. It is not easy to say what comes within and what is excluded from the meaning of out-house. and fencing throughout the park -- into an ever changing, severely micromanaged operational permit. As a result, over 14,400 acres of once public land have been designated as a wilderness preserve. The CCC has been unable to balance public needs with conservation. Instead, they have disregarded sections of the Coastal Act, which require them to "...maximize public access... and, maximize public recreational opportunities." "We are urging Governor Davis to review the scientific evidence and intervene in this matter," said Jim Suty, Friends of Oceano Dunes' president. "The California Coastal Commission continues to ignore the experts in a desperate attempt to make a bird sanctuary bird sanctuary: see wildlife refuge. out of a state legislated off-road park. The Commission's actions seem to be in reaction to unsubstantiated and inflammatory propaganda presented by extreme environmentalists." A key bone of contention between the two sides is the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO PRBO Point Reyes Bird Observatory ) 2001 report, which clearly states that predators -- not people or vehicles -- led to a high mortality rate for the Western Snowy Plover at the ODSVRA. Although scientists at the PRBO are the undisputed Western Snowy Plover experts, the CCC has continually focused on the vehicles in the park over predator management. "The California Coastal Act was designed to protect the public's access to our beaches, instead it is being used to fence the public out," continued Suty. "Enough is enough." About Friends of Oceano Dunes Friends of Oceano Dunes, a 501(c)(3) California Not-for-profit Public Benefit Corporation, is the first organization of its kind to include representation from all forms of responsible recreation. Over twenty thousand strong, the group's membership is comprised of local residents, business owners, equestrians, surfers, fishermen, off-roaders, elderly and disabled; all of which enjoy the benefits and usage of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (ODSVRA). Friends of Oceano Dunes is headquartered in Oceano, California, 805/788-4926, www.oceanodunes.org. |
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