On Aug. 24, commemorating the annual observation of National Park Week, President Trump proclaimed, “My administration is committed to protecting every acre of our lands.” Four days later, it became clear that this is not true. That’s when the news broke that the Trump administration has been secretly negotiating to give a chunk of Yosemite […]
Andrew Christie
Posted inCommentaries
Trump is coming for California’s coast
Our coastline is in jeopardy of losing protections under
a new federal review singling out the Coastal Management Plan
The same administration that is slashing funding for climate research and the Environmental Protection Agency, propping up the coal industry, gutting the Endangered Species Act and planning to open the entire California coast to offshore oil drilling is now taking aim at the California Coastal Commission. In 2016, Donald Trump began a decade-long fight with […]
Posted inOpinion
Oceano and endangered species deserve a peaceful safe beach
It doesn’t happen often, but it happened recently: The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) south of Arroyo Grande Creek was closed to off-highway vehicles and became a safe place for pedestrians. But the closure was temporary. The Oceano Dunes re-opened May 21 to off-road vehicles. Why was the Oceano Dunes closed to vehicles? […]
Posted inOpinion
Why are we still running over plovers?
On March 18, 2021, the California Coastal Commission made the historic decision that off-road vehicles must be removed from Oceano Dunes because off-road vehicle use jeopardizes one of the world’s rarest coastal ecosystems and endangered wildlife (not to mention harming local public health and air quality). Four years later, the court struck down the Coastal […]
Posted inOpinion
A fabricated “emergency” aims to reduce environmental protections
Do you know about the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule? It prioritizes the health and resilience of ecosystems on public lands. The rule, legally binding on the actions and decisions of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), requires them to “protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make informed management decisions based on science and […]
Posted inOpinion
This administration threatens our land, sea, and air
It is all too clear that California’s communities and environment are not immune to the Trump administration—and that state and local leaders’ pushback is powerful and necessary. Having already moved to open public lands to mining and drilling, the Trump administration is now making its presence known off the Central Coast. On April 30, the […]
Posted inOpinion
Now is the time to defend our public lands
“Action is the best antidote to despair.” –Joan Baez Public lands and waters are our country’s most popular areas for exploring nature while conserving landscapes, cultural areas, clean water, and wildlife, including the Central Coast’s very own Carrizo Plain National Monument, Los Padres National Forest, and Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. But legislation introduced in […]
