Jan./Feb. 2020 Volume 57 No. 1 The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club ~ San Luis Obispo County, California SANTA LUCIAN Santa Lucia Chapter Inside Inside Inside Inside Inside Diablo Canyon: Not the future 2 Community Choice for some 3 The Cal French Circle: How to 7 Oceano Dunes countdown 8 Outings 12 TUNNEL continued on page 4 A Giant Tunnel Will Not Solve California’s Water Challenges Central Coast Heritage Protection Act Moves Ahead WILDERNESS continued on page 5 Last November, at the urging of the County’s State Water Subcontractors Advi- sory Committee, the three largest state water subcontrac- tors in the county — Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and the Oceano CSD — voted to “participate in preliminary efforts associated with the Delta Conveyance Project,” aka the Delta Tunnel. Votes of support by local jurisdictions bring the project one step closer to reality -- reality being a costly giant tunnel that would divert Sacramento River water bound for the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta and transport it directly to Central Valley farms and urban users in the Bay Area and Southern California. The SLO County Board of Supervisors is the ultimate target of the local charm offensive by project propo- nents because SLO County will have to agree to support the project in order put local state water users officially on the hook for financial sup- port. Here’s why that shouldn’t happen. This plan would accelerate the decline of the largest estuary on the west coast, which provides essential habitat for native and migra- tory species. Salmon runs and a billion-dollar commercial salmon industry rely on a healthy Delta. The giant tunnel would ultimately reduce California’s water security by increasing dependence on unreliable water imports for many farmers and urban dwellers and encourage unsustainable use of water in cities and farms across the state. This project would burden Californians with an enor- mous financial commitment without guaranteeing any additional water for agricul- ture or urban areas. If we gamble billions on building a giant tunnel, there will not be enough money to invest in local solutions that would improve water security throughout the state and create local jobs through investment in smaller infrastructure projects. The Sierra Club supports On November 19, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act (H.R. 2199), heeding the call of Californians to safeguard for future generations the state’s unique public lands and rivers within the Carrizo Plain National Monument and Los Padres National Forest. A vote by the full House is expected in February. Representative Salud Carbajal and Senator Kamala Harris introduced the legisla- tion to help ensure clean water for area communities, conserve valuable wildlife habitat, and stimulate the local economy. The bill’s advancement builds on momentum in Congress to permanently protect cherished landscapes and waters across the nation as designated Wilderness Areas, including enactment earlier this year of the John Dingell Conservation, Man- agement, and Recreation Act. In October, the House passed legislation to protect public lands in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. “Permanent protection of Carrizo Plain is key to our region’s tourism industry, which attracts visitors from around the globe and rein- forces our economic future and quality of life,” said San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon. “I commend the House Natural Resources Committee for moving the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act forward and urge swift passage through the full House of Representa- tives.”
Transcript
Santa Lucian • Jan./Feb. 2020 1
Jan./Feb. 2020Volume 57 No. 1
T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t t e r o f th e S a n ta L u c i a C h a p t e r o f t h e S i e r ra C l u b ~ Sa n L u i s O b i s p o Co u n t y, C a l i f o r n i a
SANTA LUCIAN
Santa LuciaChapter
InsideInsideInsideInsideInside Diablo Canyon: Not the future 2
Community Choice for some 3
The Cal French Circle: How to 7
Oceano Dunes countdown 8
Outings 12TUNNEL continued on page 4
A Giant Tunnel Will Not Solve California’s Water Challenges
Central Coast Heritage Protection Act Moves Ahead
WILDERNESS continued on page 5
Last November, at theurging of the County’s StateWater Subcontractors Advi-sory Committee, the threelargest state water subcontrac-tors in the county — MorroBay, Pismo Beach, and theOceano CSD — voted to“participate in preliminaryefforts associated with theDelta Conveyance Project,”aka the Delta Tunnel. Votes of support by localjurisdictions bring the projectone step closer to reality --reality being a costly gianttunnel that would divertSacramento River waterbound for the Sacramento/SanJoaquin Delta and transport itdirectly to Central Valleyfarms and urban users in theBay Area and SouthernCalifornia.
The SLO County Board ofSupervisors is the ultimatetarget of the local charmoffensive by project propo-nents because SLO Countywill have to agree to supportthe project in order put localstate water users officially onthe hook for financial sup-port. Here’s why that shouldn’thappen. This plan would acceleratethe decline of the largestestuary on the west coast,which provides essentialhabitat for native and migra-tory species. Salmon runs anda billion-dollar commercialsalmon industry rely on ahealthy Delta. The giant tunnel wouldultimately reduce California’swater security by increasing
dependence on unreliablewater imports for manyfarmers and urban dwellersand encourage unsustainableuse of water in cities andfarms across the state. Thisproject would burdenCalifornians with an enor-mous financial commitmentwithout guaranteeing anyadditional water for agricul-ture or urban areas. If wegamble billions on building agiant tunnel, there will not beenough money to invest inlocal solutions that wouldimprove water securitythroughout the state andcreate local jobs throughinvestment in smallerinfrastructure projects. The Sierra Club supports
On November 19, theHouse Committee on NaturalResources passed the CentralCoast Heritage Protection Act(H.R. 2199), heeding the callof Californians to safeguardfor future generations thestate’s unique public landsand rivers within the CarrizoPlain National Monument andLos Padres National Forest. Avote by the full House isexpected in February. Representative SaludCarbajal and Senator KamalaHarris introduced the legisla-tion to help ensure cleanwater for area communities,conserve valuable wildlifehabitat, and stimulate thelocal economy. The bill’s advancementbuilds on momentum inCongress to permanentlyprotect cherished landscapesand waters across the nationas designated WildernessAreas, including enactmentearlier this year of the JohnDingell Conservation, Man-agement, and Recreation Act.In October, the House passedlegislation to protect public
lands in Colorado, Arizona,and New Mexico. “Permanent protection ofCarrizo Plain is key to ourregion’s tourism industry,which attracts visitors fromaround the globe and rein-forces our economic futureand quality of life,” said SanLuis Obispo Mayor HeidiHarmon. “I commend theHouse Natural ResourcesCommittee for moving theCentral Coast HeritageProtection Act forward andurge swift passage through thefull House of Representa-tives.”
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The Executive Committee meetsthe third Monday of each month at6:00 p.m. in the chapter office,located at 1411 Marsh St., Suite204, San Luis Obispo. All membersare welcome to attend.
Lindi Doud
Printed by University Graphic Systems Cal Poly, San Luis ObispoMailing preparation services courtesy of the Silver Streaks
Outings Chuck TribbeyWebmasters Monica Tarzier, Stephanie CarlottiTrail Guide Gary Felsman
EDITORAndrew Christie
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Wed., Jan. 15Copeland Pavilion, 3rd FloorFrench Medical Center1823 Johnson Ave., SLODoors open: 6:30 p.m.Program: 7-9 p.m.
SierraClubGeneralMeeting
NUKE continued on page 6
What is Environmental Justice? The Sierra Club is promoting dialogue,increased understanding, and appropriateaction in the cause of integrating socialjustice and environmental concerns. Weseek to provide an effective frameworkfor ad-dressing the damage, risk, anddiscrimination facing many communitiestoday. Join Jeremias Salazar of Food andWater Watch, Cynthia Replogle fromSLO Surfrider and the Oceano CSD, andCarmen Bouquin of the Santa LuciaChapter’s Executive Committee for anexploration of how we can attain the goals of social justice and humanrights to secure environmental protections and a sustainable future.
Wanna Buy aUsed Nuke?By Andrew Christie, ChapterDirector
Are you old enough toremember that NationalLampoon cover photo of ahand holding a gun to thehead of a nervous looking dogunder the headline “Buy thismagazine or we’ll shoot thisdog?” If not, you can just checkout Assemblyman JordanCunningham’s plan to changethe state constitution and re-newable energy policy to barapproval of PG&E’s bank-ruptcy plan unless it includesa plan to keep Diablo Canyonopen. Here I’d like to pause topoint out to all our conserva-tive free-market friends thatnuclear power has been theultimate trust fund brat. Andeven though it was born andraised with every conceivableadvantage – six times theamount of federal subsidiesthat have historically gone torenewable energy, the lion’sshare of federal energy r&dmoney, production tax credits,huge loan guarantees and ahard cap on liability – it can’tcompete. In 2010, the firstCommunity Choice Energyprogram in California went online in Marin County. Thatwas the moment when amonopoly nuclear utility
Denny MynattPRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR
The Santa Lucian is published six times a year. Articles, environmental information andletters to the editor are welcome. The deadline for each issue is the 13th of the prior month.
send to: Editor, Santa Lucian, Sierra Club, P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, CA [email protected]
CommitteesPolitical Violet Sage Walker Jennifer BauerMembership/Development Heather Howell, Dani NicholsonConservation Sue HarveyNuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker Linda SeeleyZero Waste Task Force Janine Rands
Office hours Monday-Friday,1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.974 Santa Rosa StreetSan Luis Obispo
Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406805-543-8717
CA Conservation Committee delegates Stephanie Carlotti, Janine RandsCouncil of Club Leaders delegates Jennifer Bauer, Chuck Tribbey
No amount of spincan change whatthree county super-visors have cost us On January 1, CommunityChoice Energy became areality in the cities of SanLuis Obispo and Morro Bay. It did not become a realityin the unincorporated areas ofSLO County because Super-visors Debbie Arnold, JohnPeschong and Lynn Comptonhave consistently refused tojoin a Community ChoiceEnergy program. So what did Morro Bay andSLO just get? They have joined more thanten million Californians whoare now getting their electric-ity from programs that arecommunity-run, mission-driven, and accountable to thepeople and businesses theyserve. They have a voice onMonterey Bay CommunityPower’s Policy Board andOperations Board, and theircitizens can serve on theMBCP Community AdvisoryCouncil. No closed-doormeetings. No shareholdersraking off profits. They now have the power ofcompetition and choice in alocal electricity market,providing ratepayers withoptions about their powersupplier and the level of cleanenergy they wish to support. They now have a way tosupport their local economiesthrough job creation and thegrowth of local power, andaccess to $25 million in low-interest loans supportingbackup power generation for
CCA continued on page 4
“Not enough information” Monterey Bay Community Power is one of 19 Community ChoiceEnergy agencies serving more than 10 million customers across California. CCEs have become theprimary way Californians support cleaner energy, with local control, cost savings, renewableenergy options and delivery of impactive energy programs to local communities.
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robust alternatives to thetunnel that would providebetter long-term watersecurity for all Californiansand would have fewernegative environmentalimpacts. Those solutionsinclude encouraging water-efficient technologies inurban use, requiring state-wide water meters on anaccelerated timeline, andrecycling municipal waste-water. Encouraging the urbanuptake of water-efficienttechnologies would meanreplacing thirsty lawns withdrought tolerant landscaping,installing smart irrigationtechnology, using rainwaterand graywater, and promot-ing aggressive rebateprograms for efficientappliances, all of whichcould reduce urban water useby 30%. Landscapingaccounts for roughly half ofall residential water use. Accelerating the timelinefor every home and businessto have a dedicated watermeter would be a good idea.Cities currently have until2025 to install meters.Requiring water meters anddetailed usage reports forconsumers on an acceleratedtimeline would likely achievethe kind of results seen in anEast Bay pilot study, inwhich home usage reportsled to a 6.6% reduction inwater use. Recycling municipal waste-water could save up to 2.3million acre-feet annually,according to the Departmentof Water Resources. Asuccessful water recyclingprogram already exists inOrange County.
Mandating weather-basedirrigation controllers, dripirrigation and climate-appropriate crop selectioncould yield over 3.4 millionacre-feet in water savings. Maintaining existinginfrastructure would save theapproximately 10% of urbanwater that is lost throughleaks in aging distributioninfrastructure, wasting waterand energy. Agriculture uses 75 to 80percent of California’s water.Improving agricultural waterefficiency with conservationstrategies—includingweather-based irrigationcontrollers, drip irrigation andclimate-appropriate cropselection—could yield over3.4 million acre-feet in watersavings. Current laws requiringwater-neutral developmentshould be strengthened tomore effectively preventunsustainable growth. These
and other measures couldreduce statewide waterdemand by 9.7 million acrefeet/year. That’s more waterthan is exported from theDelta even in rainy years. Until 2014, California wasone of the few states in thenation that did not regulategroundwater, which has led tounsustainable levels of over-draft, damage to aquiferstorage capacity, and dramaticland subsidence. The passageof the Sustainable Groundwa-ter Management Act that yeargave California, for the firsttime in its history, a frame-work for sustainable ground-water management. Theamount of groundwater thatcould be conserved underSGMA is huge, but the time-lines are ridiculous: UnderSGMA, the most overdraftedbasins must reach sustainabil-ity within 20 years of imple-menting sustainability plans.For critically overdrafted
Tunnelcontinued from page 1
basins, that will be 2040. Forremaining high and mediumpriority basins, the deadline is2042. That’s not the way torespond to a crisis. We mustaccelerate the implementationof SGMA and aim for anincrease in the current levelsof groundwater, not just theavoidance of undesirableresults compared against adegraded baseline. Ground-water basins must be managedso that no single individual orcorporation is able to exploitthem. The Sierra Club supportscommon-sense alternatives tothe costly giant tunnelgamble. So can you. Down-load The Smart Alternative toTunnel(s): A Sensible WaterManagement Portfolio atwww.sierraclub.org/california/water. Then watch theschedule of the meetings ofthe Board of Supervisors forthis item, likely sometime inJanuary. Let the Supervisorsknow everything wrong withthe idea of the County andlocal state water contractorsthrowing money at thisproject, and what we shouldbe doing instead. Go to:tinyurl.com/slonotunnel
The Center forBusiness and PolicyResearch con-ducted a benefit-cost analysis thatconcluded theproject’s costs “arefour times higherthan its benefits,and thus theproject is not eco-nomically justified.”
CCAcontinued from page 3
facilities providing critical public services — funding thatmakes a strategic contribution toward greater local energydevelopment, resiliency and economic development. They’re going to see a significant increase in renewableenergy generation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This year, all MBCP customers will see an estimated 7%
savings on their bills vs. what they used to pay PG&E, equatingto $19 million. Meanwhile, back at the County, ignorance is being pleaded.The County’s latest Community Choice Aggregation study willbe ready in about a year. Due to the year-long timeframe for
CCA continued on next page
Santa Lucian • Jan./Feb. 2020 5
Kirsten Blackburn, Advo-cacy Manager for The Con-servation Alliance, whichengages businesses to helpprotect wild places for theirhabitat and recreation values,said, “Adding lasting protec-tions and special recreationdesignations to California’sLos Padres National Forestshelps sustain the health of ourenvironment and our outdoorrecreation economy. We aregrateful for CongressmanCarbajal’s continued efforts toprotect worthy landscapessuch as the Condor NationalRecreation Trail and Wild &Scenic Rivers like Piru Creekand look forward to H.R.2199 crossing the finish linein this Congress.” The Central Coast HeritageProtection Act is the productof years of discussion andnegotiation involvingbusiness leaders, conserva-
tionists, elected officials,ranchers, mountain bikers,and other stakeholdersinterested in the use and well-being of these iconic lands. Itwould protect forests, grass-lands, and wild rivers acrossthe region by safeguardingapproximately 245,000 acresof wilderness, creating twoscenic areas encompassingroughly 35,000 acres, anddesignating 159 miles of wildand scenic rivers in the LosPadres National Forest andthe Carrizo Plain NationalMonument. Protected public landsenhance the quality of life forresidents and attract visitors tothe area. The Central Coast isa top tourist destination, hometo world class restaurants andwineries, and iconic scenery,all of which yield clearbenefits for the region’seconomy. According to the
Wildernesscontinued from page 1
TAKE ACTION:
Thank Congressman Carbajal for his commitment to expand-ing and safeguarding the irreplaceable wilderness areas of theCentral Coast. Let him know that you support preservingCalifornia’s Central Coast through the designation of wilder-ness and wild rivers. Go to:
Long range plan In May 2013, Santa Lucia Chapter leaders CalFrench, Sue Harvey and Greg McMillan met with Laurel Williams (right),Deputy Conservation Director of the Southern California WildernessCoalition, to review the best potential areas in the county for wilder-ness designation.
Outdoor Industry Association,outdoor recreation generates$92 billion in consumerspending and 691,000 directjobs in California. The rugged coastal moun-tains and ecologically richgrasslands of California’sCentral Coast sustain a widerange of recreational opportu-nities. Visitors to the LosPadres National Forest andthe adjoining Carrizo PlainNational Monument enjoybackpacking, camping, birdwatching, horseback riding,kayaking, and mountainbiking. The legislation woulddesignate the approximately400-mile long Condor Trail
as a National Scenic Trail,connecting the northern andsouthern portions of the LosPadres National Forest by asingle hiking route. The widely supportedlegislation is co-sponsored by30 members of California’scongressional delegation. The Central Coast WildHeritage campaign includesCalifornia WildernessCoalition, Friends of theRiver, Keep the Sespe Wild,Los Padres ForestWatch,Sierra Club, The PewCharitable Trusts, and TheWilderness Society. Learn more atwww. centralcoastwild.org/.
administrative procedures after a municipality formally submitsa request to join a Community Choice Energy program, thatmeans there’s a good chance the supervisors could blow thedeadline for 2022, losing another year via more of the samefoot-dragging the troika deployed when it missed the windowsfor 2020 and 2021. Learn more (than three county supervisors) at cal-cca.org/.
CCAcontinued from previous page
Welcome to our new regulardonors, Pete & TerresaNovak, owners ofAtascadero Grocery OutletBargain Market, 2100 ElCamino Real. Pete andTerresa are all about“Supporting the Future ofour Community,” and arenow supplying the SierraClub with refreshments giftcards for our bimonthlyGeneral Meetings!
TAKE ACTION
6 Santa Lucian • Jan/Feb. 2020
restrict activities to protect our coastal areas. Just as smokingprohibitions and leash laws regulate smoking and dogs, theCoastal Commission must protect the coast. Smokers, dogs, andOHV rough-riders are not “grandfathered” in. The Air Pollution Control Districts have the same power, andit is absolute. If some activity is causing degradation of airquality, the APCD is empowered to terminate or curtail thatactivity. Every few years, you have to have your car smog tested. Ifthe emissions from your car exceed the acceptable standards,you have to get you car fixed. If you don’t get your car up tostandards, you can’t drive your car on public roads. The DMVwill not send you the little sticker to put on your license plate.No negotiating, no side deals, no time extensions, nothing halfway. You do it because it’s the law. The Coastal Commission met in SLO last July to considerand review non-compliance with conditions of cooperation atthe Oceano Dunes. The Commission caved in to a veryassertive bunch of OHV activists. The Coastal Commission isdealing with the State Parks system, which seems equallyintimidated by the OHV crowd. The Oceano Dunes are a part
of the State Park system, which is in charge of managing OHVactivities in the dunes. Shame on both of those agencies. The SLO Air Pollution Control District hearing board met onNov. 18 in Arroyo Grande to consider enforcing the reductionof dust emissions at the OHV driving area in the dunes. Whenthe OHVs ride on the dry sand, they stir up particles of dust.The tiny particles become airborne and get into everything, asfar away as the 101 near Santa Maria. They land on cars andstructures and get inhaled by creatures who breathe air. Again,there was a willy-nilly action by the APCD that didn’t get to theheart of the matter. OHV activities are messing up the dunes and everything thatlives there and nearby. Both the Coastal Commission and theAir Pollution Control District have the absolute power andobligation to curtail these activities. And they should do it rightnow.
In Chargecontinued from page 9
found itself approachingsomething resembling a freemarket and a level playingfield. Little kids promptlyknocked it down and ate itslunch: 52% of the energyonce delivered by PG&E isnow generated by Commu-nity Choice Energy programsand direct access energyproviders. (See “Dear SLOCounty,” page 3.) ByPG&E’s projections, that willrise to 58% by 2022. As its customers depart andthe need for the energyDiablo generates goes withthem, PG&E has filed a Gen-eral Ratepayer Case askingthe Public Utilities Commis-sion for permission to extractmore than $1 billion from itscurrent and former customersto pay for Diablo Canyon’soperations and maintenancecosts, and another $84 mil-lion in capital expendituresfor the plant. As the Alliance for NuclearResponsibility put it in itstestimony in that GeneralRatepayer Case, throwingever more money at Diablo“would inflict substantialabove-market costs on a
dwindling base of bundledcustomers and unnecessarilypenalize former bundledcustomers, most of whom arenow served by CCAs thatforeswear inclusion ofnuclear-generated electricityin their portfolios.” They conclude that“PG&E’s unwillingness torespond to the changingmarket conditions that haverendered DCNPP a hopelesslystranded asset [is] saddlingboth bundled load anddeparted load with immenseannual deadweight losses toproduce increasingly un-wanted output,” and surmisethat “the only plausibleexplanation for PG&E’spersistence in operation ofsuch an uneconomic plant isto generate a continuing returnon its stranded investment.” Assemblyman Cunninghamclaims: “There’s no reason fora bankrupt utility…to shutdown a perfectly safe andprofitable source of emission-free electricity.” The risible “perfectly safe”claim is something he shouldcheck with Sam Blakeslee, hisformer Sacramento colleague(and a geophysicist). As to the“profitable” claim, see the
preceding testimony. When Southern CaliforniaEdison shut down the SanOnofre Nuclear GeneratingStation, the settlementauthorized cost recovery forSCE over a 10-year period,characterized by SCE’s chiefeconomist as a means bywhich SCE could recycle itscapital into investments thatthe Public Utilities Commis-sion and intervenors wouldfind worthwhile. For PG&E,this would include renew-ables, energy storage, andhigher priority fire-hardeninginvestments in the grid. (Inthe 2016 Joint Proposal toretire Diablo Canyon, PG&Eagreed to the “orderly re-placement of Diablo Canyonwith a green-house gas freeportfolio of energy efficiency,renewables and energystorage [as] the reliable,flexible, and cost-effectivesolution for PG&E’s custom-ers” -- a point routinelyomitted by nuclear advocatesrelentlessly attackingCommunity Choice in ourlocal media.) Enter Assemblyman Cun-ningham, whose magic wandseeks to turn back time, waveaway those aforementioned
Nukecontinued from page 2 changing market conditions,
and render meaningless thedistinction between conven-tional and renewable energy, adistinction that is the basis ofCalifornia’s wildly successfulRenewables Portfolio Stan-dard, the bedrock of thestate’s energy policy, whichcorrectly defines conven-tional power as “powerderived from nuclear energyor the operation of a hydro-power facility greater than 30mega-watts or the combustionof fossil fuels.” Assemblyman Cunninghamwants to change that becausethe trust fund brat needs yetanother advantage. And,according to his press release,Diablo Canyon “needs to bepart of the answer” in“fighting climate change.” Here’s the bitter truth: theinflexible baseload powergenerated by Diablo Canyon– always on, with no way toscale up or down – requiresthe curtailment of theproduction of wind and solarenergy, forcing them to rampdown and displacing themfrom the energy grid. That’s not part of theanswer. That’s the trust fundbrat blocking the door.
Evelyn Delany was SLO County District 3 Supervisor from1985-1997.
Santa Lucian • Jan./Feb. 2020 7
Every year, we come closer to our goal of raising the equiva-lent of automatic monthly donations of $20 or more from 300members and supporters, the amount needed to cover theChapter’s annual operating expenses and give us a secure basison which to advocate for the protection of the treasure that isthe Central Coast; our land, water, air, and wildlife. We need toprotect healthy ecosystems and the the health of residents. This is the Cal French Circle, named after a legendary SierraClub activists in our midst, a group that your friends andneighbors (at right) have joined, becoming sustaining membersof the Sierra Club’s Santa Lucia Chapter. Now is a great time to join the Cal French Circle via a $20monthly donation or lump sum annual donation of $240.Membership in the CFC confers special benefits in addition toknowing that you are a big part of the reason why the SierraClub can continue to work on behalf of the environment in SanLuis Obispo County. In years past, members have gotten aprivate reception with Sierra Club Executive Director MichaelBrune at Cal Poly, a vip tour of the Tolosa Winery at one of ourannual fundraisers, advance tickets to an evening with Jean-Michel Cousteau and a luncheon with his field producer. See you in the Circle!
M J Adams & K SchumannRichard W. AlbertsJohn & Patricia AshbaughEllen & Francois BeraudElizabeth BettenhausenSheila BlakeDavid & Naomi BlakelyRaymond BrackenDuane & Sharon BudgeMahala & Susanne BurtonJoan CarterLinda & David ChippingSarah Christie & Dan YorkBonita ChurneyJohn Alan ConnerleyPolly Cooper & Ken HaggardDr. Thomas A. CyrJill DentonPatrick McGibney & Lindi DoudCal FrenchDavid & Carol GeorgiMarvin GrossCindy HansenMarilyn HansenSusan & Richard HarveyV L HollandJ Myron & Susan L. HoodJames & Charlene HoppStacey & Anastasia HuntDianna JacksonKatalina Joy JohnstonJerry KellyCharlie & Tamara KleemannRandall & Sally KnightKurt Kupper
George LewisPatricia LutrinKaren MerriamVita & Michael MillerRichard MortensenChristine MulhollandPaul & Barbara MurphyThomas M. MurrayDenny & Kitty MynattD Cox & C NiblickKevin O’GormanRichard PauldingSam PeckMichael & Donna PhillipsWill & Deborah PowerRonald RasmussenR M ReevesGar & Elizabeth SalzgeberCarla SaundersJohn SchutzLinda SeeleyFrederick SeykoraJerry & Maria StoverKathryn & Chuck TribbeyJames M. VaillancourtJacob & Kalila VolkovDirk & Bonnie WaltersAlice WelchertMary Lou WilhelmEliane WilsonCalvin & Rosemary WilvertPaul M & Marion WolffKara WoodruffSheila B. WynnePatricia Wyse
Join the Circle You can become a member of the Cal French Circle ofsupporters by authorizing an automatic contribution of at least$20 a month for at least 12 months via monthly bank check,sending an annual donation of $240 to the Santa Lucia Chapter,or going to www.sierraclub.org/santa-lucia and clicking on“donate.”
Thank You, Succulent Squad! When the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in LyndseyWeisenberg’s science class at Old MissionSchool in San Luis Obispo started a project onHuman Impact on the Environment, each groupof students chose an environmental issueaffecting the local community, then wrote anaction plan to address the issue. One of the groups in her 6th grade class chosethe air quality surrounding the Oceano Dunes astheir environmental issue and identified theSanta Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club as anorganization they would like to support. They sold succulents so they could donate theprofits -- $100 -- to us. We issued Awards ofAppreciation to all at their Dec. 20 assembly. Succulent Squad members, it was wonderful tomeet you, and great to know that our localenvironment will be in good hands for manyyears to come! The Squad on the job Thanks, Jaden, David, Silas, Daly, and Marshall!
Our thanks to Kathleen Long for her generous donation in honor of Davidand Naomi Blakely.
Our thanks to Martha and Fred Goldthorpe for their donation in memory ofJohn Osterman.
8 Santa Lucian • Jan/Feb. 2020
At the July 11, 2019, meeting of the California Coastal Commission in San Luis Obispo, The California Depart-ment of Parks and Recreation promised to deliver to the Coastal Commission a Public Works Plan for the OceanoDunes State Vehicular Recreation Area one year from that date, with quarterly updates as the date approaches. Inagreeing to await the arrival of that plan, the Coastal Commission suspended action on more than a dozen condi-tions that had been drafted to compel State Parks to end chronic violations of its permit and the California CoastalAct at the dunes. Commissioners made it clear to State Parks that their plan will need to reckon with the changesthat the Commission otherwise would have compelled via those conditions to their permit. As we approach the date of the meeting of the Coastal Commission at which it is supposed to either approve orreject State Parks’ plan for the future of the ODSVRA, the Santa Lucian is devoting space to a series of articles thatexamine the issues swirling around the longest running environmental problem on the Central Coast. With six months to go until Dunes Day, we contemplate an alleged “conflict” between state laws and take a lookinto the past to discover what the future should hold for the Oceano Dunes.
ODSVRA at D Minus 6
Can the Coastal Commission support the Coastal Act? It seems to have become fashionable lately for some Califor-nia Coastal Commissioners to point to the conflicting legisla-tion and mandates of the Off Highway Motor Vehicles Recre-ation Division and the Coastal Commission. Some Coastal Commissioners sound like they are hoping thatsuggesting that this is a stand-off that cannot be resolved exceptby the legislature will relieve them of responsibility to act. For any Commissioners hoping to pass the buck in thatfashion, here’s what the Commission’s July 11 staff report hadto say about that alleged conflict:
allows for closing off OHV use where it is causingthe types of problems it is causing at ODSVRA. Inaddition, and perhaps just as compelling, PRCSection 5090 does not somehow preempt otherState laws, including the Coastal Act (and byextension the LCP). On the contrary, as with otherlaws affecting the same resources, it is important toharmonize the laws as much as possible. On thatpoint, here, proper application of both laws basedupon facts on the ground would appear to suggestthe same outcome: namely that OHV use at thislocation is not sustainable, and the time has cometo transition to other appropriate recreational uses.”
“On that point, it is important to note that thatlegislation…supports and encourages OHV recre-ational use, but at the same time it does not supportit at all costs. In fact, the legislation is clear thatwhen OHV use is leading to problems, such as is thecase at ODSVRA, then it is appropriate to shutdown that use if necessary to protect sensitivenatural and cultural resources. For example, PRCSection 5090.02(a)(3) states that the Legislaturefinds: ‘The indiscriminate and uncontrolled use ofthose vehicles may have a deleterious impact on theenvironment, wildlife habitats, native wildlife, andnative flora’; and PRC Section 5090.02(c)(4) states:‘When areas or trails or portions thereof cannot bemaintained to appropriate established standards forsustained long-term use, they should be closed touse and repaired, to prevent accelerated erosion.Those areas should remain closed until they can bemanaged within the soil conservation standard orshould be closed and restored’; and PRC Section5090.35(a) states: ‘The protection of public safety,the appropriate utilization of lands, and the conser-vation of natural and cultural resources are of thehighest priority in the management of the statevehicular recreation areas.’ Thus, although it hasbeen argued by some that this enabling legislationdoes not allow for the phasing out of OHV use, thelegislation itself paints a different picture, one thatclearly recognizes that it does not stand for OHVuse at all cost, and rather requires such use to beundertaken in a manner consistent with long-termsustainable use where the conservation of naturaland cultural resources is prioritized; and it certainly
It is also worth noting that the California Coastal Act waspassed five years after the passage of the Off-Highway VehicleAct of 1971, further indicating that the intent of the legislaturewas that the provisions of the Off-Highway Vehicle Act mustconform to the protections of the Coastal Act. Coastal Commissioners: Sacramento is not going to fix this.Sacramento expects you to fix it. And you won’t fix this byclaiming helplessness in the face of the legislation that createdthe OHV program, but by acting on the authority vested in youby the legislation that created the California Coastal Act. As thedate nears for your required approval or denial of the stillunknown commodity called the State Parks Public Works Planfor Pismo State Beach and Oceano Dunes SVRA, this willbecome a crucial point. If any Coastal Commissioners think the law that created theOHV program supersedes the law that created the Coastal Act,they should just say so. If they don’t think that, and don’t thinkthat agency paralysis was the intent of the legislature, theyshould stop talking as though they do.
Santa Lucian • Jan./Feb. 2020 9
Getting Cars Off the Beach in...Morro Bay
MORRO BAY continued on page 10
The Coastal Commission wants State Parks to imagine a different future for theOceano Dunes. That future happened 50 years ago, a few miles north.
As most Central Coastresidents know, you used tobe able to drive cars on thebeach and through the surf inPismo Beach (see “Who’s inCharge?,” below). This was back when Pismowas a punchline in BugsBunny cartoons. Then, in1974, after losing its secondvehicle beach ramp to storms,the city council gave up onthe cars-on-the-beach thing. Within two years, thedepressing little town hadbecome a resort destination. Much less well known: youused to be able to drive carson the beach in Morro Bay,until the city council and theState Parks and RecreationCommission halted thepractice, some three yearsbefore Pismo did. A city ordinance passed inNovember 1970. It was
immediately attacked andrepealed via a petition to thecity council, along withthreats of a recall for citycouncil members and MayorDale Mitchell. The banbecame the subject of aspecial election in April ofthe following year. It sur-vived. The ban on vehicles on thecity’s beach also generallyblocked access to the statebeach, the sand spit of MorroBay State Park. The banbecame total and officialwhen the State Parks Com-mission quietly ordered thesand spit closed to vehicles inMay 1971. The closure wasso quiet that no one knew ithad happened until a monthlater, when Parks Commis-sioner Ian Macmillan askedfor clarification of the min-utes of the commission’s May
meeting. The commission went on toextend the city’s vehicle banon the beach north of MorroRock to include closure of thebeaches of Morro Bay StatePark and Morro Strand StateBeach “to protect and pre-serve the rare ecological andarchaeological values there.” At that point, the newsfinally made the papers(right). Harold Miossi, president ofthe Santa Lucia Chapter of theSierra Club, said “The banwas well-debated before thesand spit closure. It’s theresult of the public pulse andI’m glad to see that publicopinion has been endorsed.The sand spit is highlyvulnerable. It’s not a placejust to have fun.” In other words, Mr. Miossi,the Parks Commission, and
the voters of Morro Bay in1971 agreed in advance withwhat a California Coastal
Morro Bay is a tourist town. Why? Because there are beaches to drive cars or racemotorcycles on? Is that the only attraction in the area? Will we lose vast sums oftourist money because of closing the beach? Does the economy of the town dependupon tourists driving on the shore? If so, we are in a deplorable financial condition!
- Vera A. Barnes, Morro BayLetter to the editor, The Tribune, Feb. 17, 1971
Who’s In Charge?by Evelyn Delany
Years ago, people smoked everywhere; in bed, driving theircars, at work, in restaurants. Now, not so much. Laws have beenpassed and now smoking is prohibited on public transportation,in restaurants, and just about everywhere else there are indoorcrowds. Smokers accept this and only smoke in their privateplaces. Laws dictate where you can take your dog, and dog ownersgo along with the rules. A long time ago, people began riding vehicles in the OceanoDunes. There weren’t many people doing it, and there weren’tmany people living here. Gradually, our population increased intowns. In the dunes, the riders became more numerous anddaring. The dune riders began intruding into sensitive areas andsome species were threatened and harmed. Noise and dustabound. Last year, six people died in the dunes while riding
IN CHARGE continued on page 6
OHVs. In 1972, the Coastal Act was passed with the intention ofprotecting the environment and resources of the entire Califor-nia coast. It has been tweaked several times since then, but theintent is still the same. That means that protection of the sand,the vegetation, animals, and the air is their obligation. TheCoastal Commission has the power and the responsibility to
10 Santa Lucian • Jan/Feb. 2020
Thanks to Henry Rible for making available the files of his latewife and Sierra Club stalwart Dorothea Rible.
Everything old is new again The Tribune, Jan. 26, 1971.
Commission staff report wasto conclude about the OceanoDunes in a 2019 review ofState Parks’ Coastal Develop-ment Permit:
“OHV use in [Environmen-tally Sensitive Habitat Area],and the amount of problemsengendered by it, renders thisuse not appropriate in this set-ting in light of the seriousissues and constraints identi-fied herein.”
“There may be other optionsthat would make sense forboth State Parks and thepublic, including updates toODSVRA operations andmanagement that might retainsome non-OHV vehicularuse, not only based on itsdesignation as a StateVehicular Recreation Area,but also based on the Park’shistory in providing for andaccommodating other forms
of vehicular use that don’thave the same level ofadverse impact on coastalresources as OHV use.”
“Street-legal vehicle campingon a limited portion of thebeach may be able to providea unique, lower-cost, over-night coastal camping oppor-tunity that ties into the historyof ODSVRA and continues itsrich camping tradition, butwith a significantly reducedimpact on sensitive coastalresources and surroundingcommunities.”
“It is time to start thinkingabout ways to transition thePark away from OHV use toother forms of public accessand recreation that betterrespond to the currentrealities that affect and areaffected by activities at thisshoreline location. In short, aPark that is fully consistentwith on-the-ground realities,and with today’s laws and requirements, does not
include OHV use.”
The Chair of the Commis-sion reiterated this last pointin a letter to the Director ofState Parks the day after thatpermit hearing. There is noevidence that State Parks andthe OHV Division got themessage, or remembers 1971.
TAKE ACTION
State Parks will continue to hold public workshops and openhouses and invite comments on its Public Works Plan, a visiondocument for the future management of the ODSVRA, in thelead-up to the promised submission of a draft to the CoastalCommission this summer. At every meeting, they should beasked where in their draft document is a vision for a future ofthe dunes that includes the vision the Coastal Commission toldthem it wants to see.
Saturday, Jan. 25th,9:00 am, ColsonCanyon Exploration.A moderate, 8 mile, in-and-out hike to exploreColson Canyon on theforest road to La BreaCreek. Dress in layersand bring lots of water,hat, good hiking shoes.We will park before theforest road gets toodifficult and hike fromthere. From SLO, takeHwy 101 south to Bett-eravia Rd. in SantaMaria. Meet to carpoolat the side of Men-chie’s Frozen yogurt inthe Crossroads Center,2202 S. Bradley Rd.Rain or threat of raincancels. ContactAndrea, 805-934-2792.
Saturday, Feb. 1st,8:30 am, Rinconada,Big Falls, Little Falls
loop. This is a strenu-ous hike of 16 milesand 2,500 ft. elevationgain, and will likelytake most of the day.Carpool in front of thePacific Beverage Co. inSanta Margarita at 8:00am or meet at theRinconada trail-head at8:30 am. TheRinconada trailhead islocated on Pozo Road,2.5 miles southeast ofthe Santa MargaritaLake Road intersec-tion, with signage justahead of a righthandturn. Bring adequatewater and food, a hat,sturdy waterproofshoes or sandals/flip-flops for stream cross-ings, and dress inlayers. There will bepoison oak. Dogs arewelcome on a leash.Contact Bill, 805-459-
2103. Rain orthe threat ofrain cancels.
Saturday, Feb.8th, 9:00 am,GibraltarReservoir andCanyon Hike.Moderate, six-mile loop hikefrom ParadiseRd. to Gibral-tar Dam withoption tocontinue toSunbirdQuicksilverMine, for a sixmile extension.See the LosPadres mountains,amazing vistas, riverpools, and rockformations. A roadcreek crossings ispossible with heavyrain. Bring hat, water,snacks, sunscreen, anddress in layers forweather. From Hwy101, take Rt. 154, thenleft on Paradise Rd for10 miles to end. Meetin the restroom areanear parking lot. A $5user parking fee isrequired. Significantchance of rain cancels.Contact Andrea, 805-934-2792.
Sunday, Feb. 9th orSaturday, Feb. 15th,10 am to 12 Noon,REI WildernessNavigation Classes.REI is holding two
special WildernessNavigation classes forSierra Club members.We will learn basicprinciples of findingtrail routes, then visit alocal open space forpractice. Maps andcompasses will be pro-vided. Cost is $20.00.Class size limited, andresponse has beenhigh. Contact Lisa:310-864-4679 as soonas possible and indicatewhich of the two classdates you want toattend. Please put “REINavigation Class” inthe subject line.
Sunday, Feb. 16th,2 pm, Historic Walk:SLO’s Secret Past. Aguided, exploratorystroll to discover theoriginal site of theMission, the 1860’sstagecoach stop, homeof SLO’s first million-aire, and other hiddenlandmarks near down-town SLO. Durationabout 1 1/2 hrs. Meetat corner of Nipomoand Dana Streets.Contact Joe, 805-549-0355.
Saturday Feb. 22nd,8:30 am, Cruikshankto Alder Creek Camp
Hike. This is a hikethat covers the begin-ning of one trail andthe end of another inthe Silver Peak Wilder-ness. We will go fromone canyon to another.This is a moderatelystrenuous hike of about12 miles with 2,400feet of elevation gain.There are three creekcrossings in eachdirection. There willprobably be somepoison oak. Bringlunch, water and hikingshoes. You may go partway because we returnon the same trail. Meetat Washburn Day UseArea which is about 11/2 miles north ofCambria at San SimeonState Park. Roadclosure due to a slideor rain will postponethis outing to a laterdate. Contact Carlos,805-546-0317.
GroundTruth
Saturday, Feb. 1st,SLO Guild Hall:Bioneers. Ecologisticscelebrates 10 years ofbringing the Bioneersconference to theCentral Coast. Thisyear’s theme is “2020Vision,” featuring localimplementation of theGreen New Deal.https://ecologistics.org
Thanks to everyonewho signed postcardsto Santa Barbara’sCounty Supervisorsopposing the plans ofExxonMobil andPlains Pipeline Co. torestart offshore drill-ing platforms andship the oil to facili-ties in San LuisObispo and Kerncounties. The Supervisors areexpected to vote onthe first proposalearly this year.
12 Santa Lucian • Jan/Feb. 2020Sierra ClubSanta Lucia ChapterP. O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO. 84
SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401
Outings and Activities CalendarSeller of travel registration information: CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.
All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. Please bring drinking water to alloutings and optionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are within area code805 unless otherwise noted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult must accompany childrenunder the age of 18. If you have any suggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’souting policies, or would like to be an outings leader, call Outings Chair Chuck Tribbey, (805) 441-7597. Forinformation on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader.
This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.
Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for
Your purchasesupports the workof your localchapter!
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Wednesday, Jan. 1st,9:00 am, the 9thAnnual Bob Jones -Up and Over Hike.Join us on a leaderlesshike starting at the BobJones trailhead. Yourchoice of routes: 1.walk the Bob Jonestrail directly to Avila,or 2. walk down theBob Jones trail to theSycamore SpringsBridge and hike up theSycamore Trail to thetop of the ridge. Thenhike down the steepfire break to thePirate’s Cove accessroad, then off to Avilaand stop at Hula Hut(380 Front Street, AvilaBeach) for beverages,etc. Use menu link. BigAl’s and KrackenCoffee are closed on
January 1st. We’ll getbeverages and food atHula Hut on the FrontStreet Promenade.After that, we’ll headback to the parking lotvia the Bob JonesTrail. Rain Cancels.
Saturday, Jan 11th,8:00 am, FernandezSemi-loop Hike. Thishike is on a remote trailnortheast of Pozo in theLa Panza Range. It ismaintained by ourfriends in the CentralCoast ConcernedMountain Biking club.The route is a strenu-ous 11 mile, 1,600 feetof elevation gain. Partof our trek will go offthe trail to followFernandez Creek andlater return to the trail.
This off trail sectionmakes it more of achallenge in that it canbe on a slope with thechance there will bebrush that gets in theway of our route. Ifanyone wants to cutbrush with handclippers along the way,it would be helpful.There will be somepoison oak exposure.Meet in front of thePacific Beverage Co.in Santa Margarita.Dogs on leash arewelcome. Rain willpostpone this to a laterdate. Contact Carlos,805-546-0317.
Sunday, Jan. 19th,9:00 am, East Cuesta
Ridge to towers atopMount Lowe. Totalouting is 7 miles upand back, with a 900feet elevation gain.This is anunpaved roadwhich makesfor easyhiking andno chance ofpoison oak.There arepanoramicvistastowards theocean with beautifuloaks and pines allaround. Dogs arepermitted on leash.Dress for the weatherand bring water andsnacks. Meet at the topof Cuesta Grade on the
east side summit pull-out, 150 yards beyondthe sign “Cuesta Grade1522 feet.” Raincancels. ContactBonnie, 805-801-6148.
