Photo: Aubrey Lao
This year, San Onofre has faced threats from all sides. Initially, SanO’s troubles were focused on the roadway that washed away at the beginning of February, closing off beach access until it was repaired last month. However, during that time, the specter of a greater threat loomed.
San Onofre is part of Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base owned by the U.S. Navy. In 1971, the land was leased to the California Department of Parks and Recreation as part of President Richard Nixon’s Legacy of Parks program. Though the original 50-year lease expired in 2021, it was given a three-year extension that sunsets on Aug. 31, 2024.
The approaching deadline brings with it a negotiation over who will retain stewardship of the land. This time around, the Navy is reportedly asking for significantly more money than the nominal $1 cost of the original deal (the actual number is not public, but a federal statute now mandates “fair market value” for military land leases). The question also arises as to what would happen if a new deal is not struck and the land went back to the Navy.
The Surfrider foundation isn’t willing to take that chance, though. “Despite commitments from California State Parks and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to maintain public access at San Onofre, anxiety within local coastal communities about the lease negotiations and its potential to impact access, at least temporarily, has been steadily and palpably growing,” wrote the organization.
To that end, Surfrider is working with the San Onofre Parks Foundation and local stakeholders to attempt to ensure the protection of San Onofre State Beach, including public access. “We are asking California State Parks and the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Camp Pendleton to ensure that there will be uninterrupted access to San Onofre State Beach once the current lease expires,” they continued. “We further call for a long-term solution that permanently secures public access to this iconic stretch of coastline.”
The foundation is also asking for help from the public, in the form of letters to “key leaders and decision-makers” in the lease negotiation process. They wrote, “By taking action today, you can make your voice heard by the decision-makers driving the San Onofre State Beach lease renewal process and help make certain that San Onofre State Beach is accessible to all for generations to come.”
Further information regarding Surfrider’s fight to preserve San Onofre State Beach access can be found here.
