For SunBuggy Fun Rentals owner Randy Jordan, when the Oceano Dunes reopened to vehicle traffic and campers on May 21, it meant his business could start renting out ATVs, dune buggies, and side-by-sides again.
“I think it’s great, and I think you really know how much you’re going to miss something when you have to not be able to do it for a while,” Jordan said.
When an April court ruling closed the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) to non-pedestrians, it meant SunBuggy also had to close.
“Financially, [it] creates a few difficulties, but in seeing all the things that the parks department had to do while the beach was closed, I can see why it was closed, and I can see that it was really amazing that they could get it all done in that amount of time,” Jordan said.
The Center for Biological Diversity sued California State Parks Director Armando Quintero and California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot because it said the SVRA wasn’t complying with the Endangered Species Act when it came to protecting snowy plovers and other endangered species. The organization asked the court to declare that State Parks was violating the act by allowing vehicles to drive on the beach in snowy plover habitat without obtaining a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to the complaint filed in October 2020.
‘I think generally, it’s pretty outrageous that State Parks rushed to reopen Oceano Dunes to off-road riding and beach driving in the middle of snowy plover nesting season.’
—Zeynep Graves, senior attorney for Center for the Biological Diversity
State Parks appealed the April 9, 2026, ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The Oceano Dunes SVRA also received an incidental take permit from the Fish and Wildlife Service on May 20, which enabled the park to resume normal operations.
The permit allows for the incidental take—accidental harm or killing—of protected species in the park, including the Western snowy plover and other species. The SVRA also finalized its habitat conservation plan, a detailed document that memorializes the conservation program for special status species and other wildlife and plant species. The plan has been in the works for decades.
“The plan will allow California State Parks to take a strategic approach to supporting species protection and recovery while providing recreation opportunities for the local community and visitors,” a Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson said.
Reopening the SVRA meant the park could benefit from being open to campers on Memorial Day weekend. The park lost approximately $250,000 in revenue during the six-week closure, according to Oceano Dunes District Superintendent Jon O’Brien, who added that the park had to cancel many camping reservations.
“People come and they camp at Oceano Dunes, they come and enjoy the beaches, and then they frequent local business, and so there is an impact to the local community when the number of visitors visiting Oceano Dunes is fewer,” O’Brien said.
But Zeynep Graves with the Center for Biological Diversity believes State Parks rushed the reopening.
“I think generally, it’s pretty outrageous that State Parks rushed to reopen Oceano Dunes to off-road riding and beach driving in the middle of snowy plover nesting season,” the attorney said. “It’s just unfortunate for the wildlife, particularly the endangered and threatened species that are there, that State Parks kind of rushed to reopen because obviously animals change their behavior when there are fewer vehicles out there to contend with.”
Graves described the SVRA’s habitat conservation plan as deeply flawed and said it will make things worse for the snowy plovers, least terns, and other endangered species.
“Instead of really protecting wildlife, we think State Parks’ plan puts off-road vehicles first, and it paves the way to open even more sensitive dune habitats to vehicles,” Graves said.
State Parks stands behind the finalized plan, according to O’Brien, which includes monitoring special status species, posting speed limits on the beach, and offering enclosed areas for species during the nesting season with buffers around the nests.
“We’ve got one of the most successful shorebird conservation programs on the West Coast,” O’Brien said. “So the habitat conservation plan essentially memorializes that program.”
The number of Western snowy plover nests in the park’s habitat conservation plan area gradually increased from 2003 to 2017, according to the plan, and leveled out at an average of 241 nests annually, as of 2023.
And now, with the summer months coming up, people are once again heading to the dunes with their vehicles and camping gear. Paso Robles resident Scott Cozart, who owns a Can-Am side-by-side, will be one of those going back out to ride the dunes.
“Obviously, I’m for the off-roading on the dunes, and I don’t think that it’s something that they should close in the future,” Cozart said. “I know people are trying to close the whole off-roading out there in general, but obviously I think that brings a lot of business to the local economy there, so hopefully they don’t end up doing that in the future.”
As Jordan returns to renting off-road vehicles to those who visit the dunes, he said that there are bird species out there that are endangered and everyone needs to be careful. But the two groups can coexist.
State Parks’ O’Brien agrees.
“We’ll continue as we always do, continue to have this historic recreation on the dunes while at the same time protecting the sensitive natural and cultural resources on the dunes,” O’Brien said.
Reach intern Katy Clark at intern@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in June 11 – June 18, 2026.
