Sorry for posting this here as well as the Land Use section, but Pismo needs the help:

On November 30 - A lawsuit was filed by the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club to close Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area.

In Order to combat this closure, we have hired an attorney. See the press release below for details.

VERY IMPORTANT - We need your financial support NOW. Off Roaders statewide have seen closure after closure. It must stop here and it must stop now.

At the top of this page there is a link to our web site where we have set up, on our secure server, an option to give to the Oceano Dunes Legal Defense fund. ALL of the money you donate to the fund will go directly to defending the ODSVRA. I can not stress how important it is that we have the full support of all off roaders. Our voices will be heard.

We will continue to release information as it becomes available. Thank you in advance for your generous financial support.

Pete Conaty, Executive Director, CLORV and the Friends of Oceano Dunes.

https://www.wevtec.com/_secure/clorv/index.cfm


Press Release:
For further information, contact
Pete Conaty, Executive Director, CLORV
(916) 447-1761
Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club sue to close Oceano Dunes SVRA
November surprise could end life as we know it at Oceano Dunes SVRA

November 30, 2001 – In a “November Surprise” the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against the Director of California Parks and Recreation, Rusty Aerias; Deputy Director, Off Highway Division, Department Parks and Recreation, Dave Widell and the Interim Supervisor, Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, Steve Yamaichi, “in their individual capacities.” They are accused, in the lawsuit, of failing to protect three wildlife species found at Oceano Dunes SVRA (ODSVRA)

The lawsuit demands the State immediately close the ODSVRA, in San Luis Obispo County because the State Department of Parks and Recreation has not done enough to protect the Western Snowy Plover, the Least Tern and the Steelhead Trout. However, California League of Off Road Voters (CLORV) and other Off Road groups believe that State Parks had done an exemplary job of protecting these species at ODSVRA since the State officially took over Oceano Dunes in 1982. Californians have been riding vehicles along the beach at Oceano Dunes since the car was invented.

Environmental extremists have long wanted to close down the last 3.5 miles of the California Coast, open to off road vehicles, for a long time. “It is extremely ironic that they have chosen this time to sue the Governor Gray Davis Administration, when the Davis Administration has done so much to improve environmental protection at all State Parks.” Stated Pete Conaty, Executive Director, CLORV.

CLORV, California Off Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) and Friends of Oceano Dunes are working with David Hubbard of the law firm of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, in Sand Diego, to fight this lawsuit. Various Off Road groups have also retained Mr. Hubbard, in an effort to fight the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) closures in the BLM California Desert District.

In order to handle the financial cost of this lawsuit, CLORV needs your help desperately. Please go to www.clorv.org to contribute online.

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You can also visit Friends of Oceano Dunes (http://www.oceanodunes.org) for more information.

Crowdog

FUK DAT..................I have been to a few meetings before. Just a bunch of damn hippies with billboards strapped to them runnin around like a bunch of sissys. Crowdog, if you could keep us posted to when meetings are I am sure we could start to get a good following from here (BB members from the central coast area). Possibally turn this situtation into one similar to the Jergens deal. Yes, I know there are allready a bunch of OHV users showing up to these meetings but more would be better. We must out number the enemy! FUK the Plubber and FUK the Serria Club!!!!!!!!!!

i don't know how much i can contribute b4 the holidays but i will try...


a big :flipoff: :flipoff: :flipoff: to the Sierra club


SIERRA CLUB SUCKS

For you guys in the Bay Area, please consider attending the CA Coastal Commision meeting:

CA Coastal Commission Meeting 12/13/01
It is imperative that we show NUMBERS and UNITY especially with the LAWSUIT
filed last week by the Sierra Club....PLEASE ATTEND & SPEAK TO KEEP THE
DUNES OPEN FOR ALL!

MEETING DETAILS:
The California Coastal Commission sent out a public Hearing Notice for a
meeting scheduled for December 13, 2001. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the
Hyatt Regency San Francisco S. Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94105
415-788-1234. You can also check this on the CCC web site www.coastal.ca.gov
Item w4b or (4-82-300-A5).

This meeting will have a presentation from California State Parks on the
status of the Oceano Dunes. We highly encourage your attendance and suggest
you speak during the OPEN COMMENT period (you must fill out a speaker slip
first). You will then be allowed to speak for no more than 2 minutes.

TALKING POINTS:
- Mention why you enjoy the Oceano Dunes, family, outdoors, beauty, camping,
the stars, the great dunes to explore etc...
- Express your concern over the law suit and potential closure and request
the CCC to do everything in its power to keep Public Access for ALL

Crowdog
Had God not driven man from the Garden of Eden, the Sierra Club would have....

www.crowley-offroad.com

TALKING POINTS:
- Mention why you enjoy the Oceano Dunes, family, outdoors, beauty, camping,
the stars, the great dunes to explore etc...
- Express your concern over the law suit and potential closure and request
the CCC to do everything in its power to keep Public Access for ALL

I am sure someone will bring this up but if they don't, it would be a good idea to talk about how OHV users are critical the the economic status/suvival of the area. I have heard reports suggesting that each person/family (I forget which) spends on average of 100-200 (I forget the exact #'s) dollars each time they visit the area. Anyways, just some more info. to throw out there.

Sierra Club makes CCC Mtg. in SF contentious…..again!

Each month, the CCC has an agenda item for them to receive training/insight into a special topic, which they choose. This month there were two. One was Certificates of Compliance, a real estate issue, and the second being the ODSVRA – DPR provided insight into actions to protect endangered species. Opportunity existed for Public Comment (2 min. ea), immediately after the presentation. Thus, a number of Friends of Oceano Dunes were in attendance to hear the DPR presentation and the subsequent Q & A afterwards by the CCC.

DPR did a super job of refreshing the memories of those in attendance of not only the history of the beach but also summarizing the many initiatives they have undertaken to preserve and nourish habitat. During this segment of their presentation, the leadership for the local Sierra Club sitting behind us incessantly talked and demeaning the DPR speakers. We were shocked at their bad manners, discourteous demeanor, and blatant unprofessionalism.

DPR introduced a Plover EXPERT, Mr. Page, from the Point Reyes Bird Observatory who gave a Plover tutorial. He did a masterful job of providing examples of what excellent results had been obtained by predator control in Monterey. He identified the Shrike (soon to be listed as an endangered species also) as the major problem to the Plover population in Monterey as well as Oceano Dunes. A phenomenal gain in population was accomplished in Monterey by removing Shrikes. Shrikes, not vehicles are the problem. He felt that the two could cohabitate provided that the OHV operators properly respected exclosure boundaries and were educated to avoid any Plovers outside the exclosures.

Friends of Oceano Dunes speakers: Dominic Plastina, Dan Bower, Dan Peterson (CORVA), Jeri Ferguson (CAL4WD), Joel Suty, and Karen Suty, gave their perspectives in 2 minute segments. One speaker specifically highlighted the callous demeanor of the Sierra Club during the presentations. Each showed support for DPR’s tenacious approach to protecting species, and reminded the commissioners of the extremely difficult environment their antagonists had created for them. The Sierra Club gave their normal inflammatory diatribes showing disdain for DPR, pointedly saying that they do nothing right and are an enemy of the environment. It was very disconcerting to hear.

Commissioners did extensive Q & A, many times focusing on Sierra Club generated hysteria that vehicles were the cause of all Plover problems. The professional answers by the Park biologists and the Point Reyes Mr. Page defused those accusations WITH FACTS disputing the antagonist’s emotionally charged claims. Well-done DPR! Nice to see the FACTS come forward. Bottom line, except for the childish display of the three Sierra Club members, the DPR performed their role very well in presenting pertinent material, and fielded difficult questions. However, the Department of Parks and Recreation representatives were restrained by their attending attorney, due to the recently filed and harassing Sierra Club lawsuit. The CCC Commissioners asked excellent questions creating constructive discussions!

The key question raised:
“Is there any proof that vehicles affected this years poor population results?”
Answer: NO!
“Predators?”…YES!”

At the conclusion, commissioner Pedro Nava called Gordon Hensley (Sierra Club bioligist up) in what was obviously an orchestrated (unacknowledged ex parte communication) move. He asked Mr. Hensley (a member of the TRT) about a letter that Mr. Hensley had written to the commissioners chastising the inaction of the TRT. Mr. Hensley proceeded to attack the TRT, its process, inaction, and need for more oversight and goals by the CCC. (He failed to note that the TRT is meeting all scheduled milestones set forth by the CCC in May 01). We sat there in shock seeing this Sierra Club representative and supposed “team member” of the TRT doing an end-around on the TRT - going directly to a Commissioner because he couldn’t get his way in TRT meetings. Probably not too shocking when one considers that both he and Tarren Collins are members of the TRT and yet filed suit against DPR, therefore the TRT. The local Sierra Club Chapter appears to be the fabled “Trojan Horse” in the TRT. (Maybe an outside State Sierra Club Member Participant would be more objective.) Today, they refuse to set aside their personal agenda rather than work as part of a constructive team trying to balance public access with protection of endangered species. Can the Sierra Club ever be trusted to work for Citizens of California as well as endangered species?

Our thanks to all who attended, with a special thanks to local Bay Area Friends of OD who attended and we didn’t get a chance to meet. Their being there was important and we appreciated their effort to support us.

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Jim Suty
Friends of Oceano Dunes (http://www.oceanodunes.org)