The public outrage over the destruction of oak woodland in North San Luis Obispo County is justified. I applaud and support the Land Conservancy’s efforts to protect our land and wildlife.
I wish I saw a similar outrage over the destruction of the Oceano Beach and dunes and a similar effort to protect this fragile, unique ecosystem. Every year millions of vehicles trample our beach, the Arroyo Grande Creek, and the dunes. The impact on the land, the wildlife, and the Oceano Beach community is just as disastrous as that of the oak deforestation. But nobody raises a voice of alarm or concern.
Why not? Most people are under the false assumption that the off-road vehicles bring in money. To whom? Certainly not to the Oceano Beach community that takes most of the impact. Go see for yourself: Pier Avenue and vicinity are the trashiest and most backward places in the county. The money goes to the Off-Highway Vehicles Division of Parks to support its fat bureaucrats and the destructive behavior of a sector of our population.
A beach doesn’t need cars to bring in money. If the Oceano dunes and beach were free of vehicles they would bring in just as much as to Pismo Beach because people love going to the beach for the sake of the beach. Pismo got rid of its vehicles on the beach and it flourished. It’s time that Oceano Beach does too.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 6, 2016.