TAKE ACTION Save Trestles
We wanted to update you on the fight to
Save Trestles. Please take time to read the following. Posted at
savetrestles.comSurfrider Foundation Action Network
Deny the Toll Road AppealThe Transportation Corridor Agency is trying to revive its plan to build the 241 Foothill-South Toll Road through San Onofre State Beach. They have asked the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to override the California Coastal Commission's denial of the road.
Remember, on February 6, 2008 the California Coastal Commission voted to deny the 241 Foothill South Toll Road through San Onofre State Beach. Following thousands of pages of written comments and a 14 hour hearing attended by thousands, the Commission listened to reason and to the law by rejecting the toll road application.
Unfortunately the agency planning this Toll Road has appealed the Coastal Commission’s decision to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary is accepting comments from the public on this appeal until May 28th.
The people in D.C. need to hear from Californians and people from all over the world who care about San Onofre and Trestles!Your voice is needed! Don't let the TCA's lobbyists be the only influence on this important decision!
Simply click "
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/tollroadappeal0408" to view a letter template that you can send to the Secretary asking that he DENY the Toll Road appeal.
Labels: activism, beaches, News, surfing
Fatal Shark Attack Closes N. SAN DIEGO Beaches This Weekend
With the weekend forecast promising dry winds and summery temperatures — classic Southern California beach weather — the thousands that typically would be expected to throng the Pacific shoreline will have to decide whether ignoring authorities and taking a dip is worth risking the danger officials believe still exists.
I guess that it was bound to happen some time, but no one new just when. Friday Morning at 7 a.m. a shark arose from the deep and snagged a swimmer about 100 yards of the California coast, at Fletchers cove in Solana Beach, just 15 miles North of San Diego. It is the first time that such an attack has occurred in Southern California in nearly fifty years.
The victim - David Martin - was swimming with a group of tri-athletes off Solana Beach at the time. Martin, 66, died on the beach Friday morning after a shark, presumed to be a great white, lifted him out of the water with his legs in its jaws, leaving deep lacerations and shredding Martin's black wetsuit.
Martin, a retired veterinarian, was the first shark fatality in San Diego County since 1994. Prior to that, the last known fatal attack in the area was in 1959.
Even die-hards said word of the attack gave them pause. Sharks are rare in Southern California, though female great white sharks sometimes come south from their usual territory in the cooler waters of the central and northern coast to pup. Few make the mistake of attacking humans instead of seals or sea lions, their usual prey.
Earlier this year, stories of shark sightings swept the coast from San Diego County north through Orange and Los Angeles counties, the Los Angeles Times reported in late March.
The last fatal shark attack in California, according to data from the state Department of Fish and Game, took place on Aug. 15, 2004, off the coast of Mendocino County. The victim was a man diving for shellfish with a friend. On Aug. 19, 2003, a woman swimmer was killed by a great white at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County on the central California coast.
Overall, shark attacks are extremely rare. There were 71 reported worldwide last year, up from 63 in 2006. Only one attack, in the South Pacific, was fatal, according to the University of Florida.
The university's International Shark Attack File has counted an average of 4.1 people killed by sharks annually worldwide in the past seven years.
Labels: beaches, News, Resourcful, surfing
$20 Million for Renewable Ocean Energy
The Scottish Government has created the opportunity to award one of the biggest international innovation prizes in history through its plans for the
Saltire Prize - a £10 million ($20 million) challenge prize for advances in clean energy.
The Saltire Prize draws inspiration from great innovation prizes of the 20th century including aviation prizes that led to the first crossings of the English Channel and the Atlantic, the Ansari X Prize that led to the first private spacecraft launch and, more recently the Virgin Earth Challenge which saw Richard Branson challenge scientists around the world to come up with a way to remove CO2 gases from the atmosphere.
The details of the prize are still being worked out, so if you have got any great ideas you better get to work.
Labels: beaches, News, Resourcful
Surf Wax
Surfing is a great way to get exercise and literally immerse yourself in what nature has to offer. On an average in any coastal town, hoards of surfers ride the waves at beach breaks, point breaks, and sand bars, along with a large assortment of other types of spots.
Although the sport is generally low-impact and popular amongst young, environmentally conscious people, you can’t help but wonder how much surf wax pollutes the ocean on a daily basis. Several companies offer alternative products to the best-selling
Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax, which contains paraffin and added unnatural scent.
This is not only bad for the ocean but for skin on your chest that is constantly rubbing across the wax on the top of your board during any given warm water session.
There are a few Companies on the market now dedicated to creating environmentally friendly wax from a beeswax base include
Muffin Wax,
Northern Light Surfboard Wax (which guarantees to be the “stickiest wax on the planet!”) and
Phil’s Organic Surf Wax. I haven't got to try any of these companies out yet, but i look forward to the opportunity. If you are by the water i recommend that you Give them a try and let me know what you think!
Labels: beaches, News, Resourcful, surfing
Surfer Stops Supperferry
Superferry Hits Human Blockade in Kauai
I found this story interesting and worth reporting. This story was posted by By: Mari-Ela David on KHNL KAUAI (KHNL)
- After leaving Honolulu Harbor on its first official journey out to sea, the Superferry gets a nasty welcome from protestors on Kauai. Once the vessel arrived in Kauai around 6:00 p.m. Sunday, angry words rippled through the waters at Nawiliwili Harbor, as protestors temporarily blocked the Alakai from docking.
Some protestors swam and surfed towards the vessel, determined to block the giant ship's path.
For safety reasons, the Coast Guard stepped in and stopped the Superferry from docking, leaving 500 passengers stuck on the ship for at least an hour.
Participating in the protest were some of Kauai's leaders. "I'm really disappointed and utterly shocked that the owners are not willing to follow the law to stop their operations," says Kauai County Councilmember Joann Yukimura. Critics say the Superferry is breaking the law.
The Supreme Court ruled the Superferry must provide an environmental assessment. The debate between supporters and opponents is whether or not that ruling means the Superferry can still operate while the assessment is being conducted.
Among Superferry supporters is the State Administration. "Governor Lingle, and the Department of Transportation - I'm very disappointed that they're not respecting the decision that just came down by the Hawaii Supreme Court and I would hope that they would honor that so we can move forward and resolve this very difficult and complicated situation," says Senator Gary Hooser.
But Superferry officials say they are well within the legal lines. In a statement, Hawaii Superferry says "We are extremely disappointed for the passengers who were booked on the voyage to Kauai...we are sorry to see that minority dissident groups have chosen to oppose a service that the people of Hawaii have overwhelmingly embraced."
The Superferry finally docked around 7 pm Sunday.
Witnesses say protestors laid down in front of cars as the crew tried to unload the vehicles off Nawiliwili Harbor. At that point, they say the Superferry boarded passengers back on the ship.
The vessel is scheduled to arrive at Honolulu Harbor around 11:00 p.m. Sunday.
Labels: activism, beaches, boycott, Event, News, Transportation
SAVE TRESTLES
The Transportation Corridor Agency is seeking to build an extension to the existing 241 Toll Road. The proposed Foothill Transportation Corridor South (FTC-South) is a sixteen-mile long toll road highway that would connect the current terminus of the 241 Toll Road to Interstate 5. The TCA is proposing six alignments for this project; four of which run directly through and along San Mateo Creek. If constructed, not only would this project directly threaten the world class surf break at and around Trestles (including Uppers, Lowers, Middles, Church and Cottons), the project would also result in the obliteration of Southern California?s last remaining pristine coastal watershed and substantially degrade habitat that is critical for the survival of at least seven endangered species, including the Southern Steelhead trout.
Wave Degradation
* This project would require substantial grading of the terrain and millions of yards of hard reinforcement (steel, concrete and other materials), that will alter the natural sediment flow through San Mateo Creek,, which supplies sand to the Trestles surf breaks.
* According to the Transportation Corridor Agency?s own engineering consultants, losses in sedimentation flow would cause ?substantial degradation to surfing resources,? which will likely result in significant degradation to the wave quality at Lower Trestles and nearby breaks (including Uppers, Middles, Cottons and Church).
Water Quality
* A recent scientific report demonstrates that when over 10 percent of a watershed is paved there are significant water quality and ecosystem impacts.
* Similar projects have resulted in generating significant increases of oils, heavy metals and other toxins. Given the proximity of the project to the watershed, this project would result in a decrease of water quality for Trestles and the surrounding breaks.
* The TCA?s assertion that they can mitigate for this run-off is dubious. The initial mitigation systems that were installed on the nearby RT73 Toll Road failed, and had to be replaced at tax-payer expense. All mitigation efforts are ineffective during large rain events.
Environmental Damage from the Toll Road
* The walk in at Trestles is half the experience. The area is home to numerous native plant and animal species, including several endangered species. This area would be profoundly impacted by such a massive project essentially cutting the San Mateo Creek watershed in half.
* The FTC-South will run directly through San Onofre Beach State Park. This 2028 acre park the 5th most visited park in the California State Parks system.
* The San Mateo Creek Watershed is one of the last large coastal open spaces in Southern California The FTC-South will forever change this last vestige of coastal wilderness, including profound compromises to the Donna O?Neill Land Conservancy.
THE PROJECT DOESN?T MAKE SENSE TO BEGIN WITH...
It Provides No Traffic Relief
* TCA claims that the FTC-South will provide relief of traffic congestion along Interstate 5 in fact contradict their own FTC-South traffic projections that rely on cannibalizing San Diego County bound traffic from the I-15 and feeding that Inland Empire traffic to the I-5 via the toll roads.
* FTC-South would be built through undeveloped land, which would promote development, and ultimately bring forth new traffic from urbanization.
* FTC-South will increase, not decrease traffic on the 1-5 stretch in south San Clemente where the proposed toll road will merge with 1-5, which is already at over-capacity along this stretch. Northern San Diego County will also be affected by potentially severe increases in traffic congestion.
Expense
* The FTC-South is expected to cost close to $1 billion (nearly $53 million a mile). Currently the plan is to fund the project by non-recourse bonds, as well as development impact fees that are already being added to real estate sales in Southern Orange County.
*Contrary to TCA claims, these projects are NOT SELF FUNDED! According to an October 10, 2005 article in the Orange County Register, the nearby RT73 Toll Road is ?financially struggling? and ?faces not being able to make its debt payments in about nine years.?
SUPPORT THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION IN ITS FIGHT TO SAVE TRESTLES!
* The dramatic decreases in water quality, degradation to the wave quality at Trestles, destruction of the San Onofre State Beach Park and some of the last open space in Southern California, and harm to endangered and threatened species
are costs not worth the questionable benefits of this extremely expensive toll road.
* Surfers, swimmers and other ocean enthusiasts enjoy the waters and waves of Trestles year round. There is no other place like it in California or the world. Please join in our efforts to Save Trestles for our children and future generations.
TAKE ACTION
Labels: activism, beaches, boycott, Event, News, Question, Resourcful, surfing
Moving On
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to just pick up an go? Sell of most of your personal belongings, pack up what is left and leave everything else behind. Did you ever wonder what that may or may not entail? Many friends of mine at one point in their life or another, have gotten sick of the rat race and moved on. Some left right after high school, some waited till their 20's and some are still leaving in their 30's. My X Pat friends come from all different backgrounds, casts, and countries , but they share the same dream of a sustainable life. One of my good friends that I met in San Diego, originally from Jersey, is finishing a really cool house right now in Rincon, Puerto Rico. The cool thing is that my buddy and his girl are tracking it step by step at www.ca2pr.com
Ca2pr is kind of "how to guide" on how to make the move. So far they have covered topics from what airline allows pets to fly in hot climates, what contractors to use in Rincon, how to avoid missing a flight because of surf wax an much much more.
Labels: beaches, Resourcful, Transportation
Clean Water Initiative
The US had a record number of beach closures and health advisories last year, the most in 15 years since research organizations have been monitoring them. -The Clean Water initiative is primarily focused on protecting water quality in coastal watersheds and in the near-shore marine environment. Consequently, the Surfrider Foundation advocates for strong water quality regulations, adequate marine recreational water quality monitoring, reporting and posting, reduction of polluted discharges into the ocean and education regarding personal responsibility for the reduction water pollution. They also support smart land use planning to ensure that coastal environmental resources are protected and healthy watersheds are maintained.
Join the Surfrider Foundation and help make a difference
Labels: activism, beaches, Resourcful, surfing
Free the Beach
The struggle to preserve public access to the beach is spreading across the nation from California to Connecticut and from Florida to the Great Lakes. California's beaches belong to all the people. The wealthy rich prick beachfront enclave of Malibu and media mogul David Geffen nevertheless filed suit to cut off the people'sright to reach the beach. A Newport Beach city councilmember opposes improvements to a public beach because "with grass we usually get Mexicans coming in there early in the morning and they claim it as theirs and it becomes their personal, private grounds all day." People of color and low-income people suffer first and worst from the efforts to privatize public beaches. While eighty percent of the 34 million people of California live within an hour of the coast, disproportionately White and wealthy homeowners stand to benefit from the privatization of this public good, while communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately denied the benefit of coastal access.
Beaches are not a luxury. Beaches are a public space that provide a different set of rhythms to renew public life. Beaches are a democratic commons that bring people together as equals. People swim and splash in the waves, "people watch," surf, wile away the afternoon under an umbrella, scamper between tide pools, or gaze off into the sunset. Public access to the beach is integral to democracy and equality. Rio de Janeiro, like Los Angeles, is marked by some of the greatest disparities between wealth and poverty in the world. Yet Rio's famous beaches are open to all, rich and poor, Black and White. The beach in Rio is the great equalizer. California's world famous beaches must also remain public for all, not the exclusive province of the rich and famous. The Connecticut Supreme Court has recognized the First Amendment right of non-residents to use a public beach against efforts by the city of Greenwhich to restrict access to its residents. A New Jersey appellate court has recognized the right of public access to reach the beach at a private club under the public trust doctrine. A Michigan court, however, has recently limited public access to the beach along Lake Michigan. In Florida, 60% of the "public" beaches are now "private."
In order to make a difference before it gets to late The center For the law and Public Justice along with the Surfrider foundation have put together a "Free the Beach" campaign. For more information go to http://www.surfrider.org/media5.asp
Labels: activism, beaches, surfing
