Photo Courtesy Surfrider Foundation

San Onofre State Beach needs your help!  The toll road backers in Orange County are appealing to the federal government to override the Coastal Commission and get special approval to build their toll road through San Onofre State Beach. 

On September 22, the Commerce Agency will be holding a hearing in Del Mar on the appeal from the toll road builders.  For more information about the destruction that the toll road would bring to San Onofre State Beach, click here. It is important that park supporters make their voices heard!  If you are unable to attend the hearing, please take a moment to  click below and send a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, urging him to deny the toll road appeal. 

Your letter will be delivered during the hearing, on your behalf – tell your friends and family to send a letter supporting San Onofre State Beach, too!   

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to urge you to deny the Transportation Corridor Agency's appeal of the recent California Coastal Commission (Commission) decision for the SR-241 Foothill-South toll road. On February 6, 2008, the Commission voted overwhelmingly to deny consistency certification for the toll road project. I strongly urge you to uphold the Commission's decision and respect the state?s right to protect California's coastal resources.

Under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, the Commission has the authority and responsibility to review projects that impact precious coastal resources. For decades, the Coastal Commission has functioned as an independent, non-partisan regulatory agency that has successfully balanced coastal resource conservation with sustainable economic growth.

In their decision on the Foothill-South toll road, the Commission determined overwhelmingly that the proposed toll road was inconsistent with the law as outlined in the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act and the California Coastal Act.

The toll road would irreparably harm unique, affordable coastal recreation in California. Under the Transportation Corridor Agency's plan, the road would irreparably damage cultural, environmental and recreational resources within San Onofre State Beach. San Onofre State Beach is the fifth most visited state park in California, includes sensitive archeological resources and Native American sacred sites, houses one of the last pristine watersheds in southern California, and provides important access to nature and recreational pursuits in a highly-developed region of California.

I urge you to reject the appeal before you - please support the Coastal Commission's ruling and protect San Onofre State Beach and a unique part of California's coast for generations to come.

Thank you for your attention to this critically important matter.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 03, 2008