I get emails from the CBD and here's the latest propaganda.


Dear whoever,

The California Department of Parks and Recreation is proposing to allow a highly destructive, three-day motorized racing event at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area on the central California coast. While this park unit is partially managed for off-road vehicle use by the public, it also contains fragile habitats for numerous imperiled species. The proposed race will include thousands of vehicles and tens of thousands of spectators resulting in habitat degradation, harassment of sensitive species, and air pollution for nearby communities. Despite the risk of multiple significant impacts to imperiled species and public health, the department proposes to allow the event to proceed without fully analyzing its impact to the environment. Please contact the Parks Department and ask the agency to deny the event and prepare a full environmental impact report.

Please submit comments by October 1, 2008.
Click here to find out more and take action.

Sample letter:

Subject: Stop the CCMA Beach Race and Prepare a Full EIR

To: Sarah Cumber, California Department of Parks and Recreation

I am writing to request that California Department of Parks and Recreation not approve the special event permit for proposed 2008 Central Coast Motorcycle Association Beach Race, and prepare a full environmental impact report. The event may well result in significant impacts to the environment; therefore the Parks Department must complete an EIR to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act. Numerous species threatened with extinction could be crushed, harassed, or driven away completely, and the intensive racing will release harmful particulate matter into the air affecting surrounding communities. The mitigation measures proposed by the department are completely inadequate to ensure against harm to the environment. According to the local coastal plan, the race course is within an area that should be closed to vehicles, but the department fails to even disclose or analyze this conflict. The direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the racing event, inadequate mitigation measures, and clear violation of the local coastal plan warrant the preparation of a full EIR.

Sand blowing from the long race course would impact threatened plant species, possibly smothering individual plants and preventing the establishment of new seedlings. Furthermore, these long stretches of beach and dunes are important feeding and wintering habitat for the western snowy plover. Although the breeding season is over for plovers, the habitat at Oceano Dunes is still critically important, and should be protected from off-road vehicles. As plovers roost on the ground, they are susceptible to being crushed both day and night by recklessly driven vehicles. The department's proposal to have a single environmental monitor at the event is completely inadequate. There is no way one person can ensure against harm to sensitive species in the face of thousands of vehicles and spectators.

Off-road vehicles should not be permitted to degrade the landscape and threaten plants and wildlife at Oceano Dunes. The Parks Department cannot ignore the significant impacts of the racing events and the inadequacy of proposed mitigations. I urge you to protect this beautiful public treasure, and fully comply with the law by preparing a full environmental impact report.

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Oceano Dunes photo by Andrew Orahoske.

This message was sent to idealmfg@pacbell.net.

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Center for Biological Diversity


P.O. Box 710


Tucson, AZ 85702


1-866-357-3349

I am writing to request that California Department of Parks and Recreation approve the special event permit for proposed 2008 Central Coast Motorcycle Association Beach Race, and except the prepared environmental documentation negative declaration. The event will not result in even negligible impacts to the environment; therefore the Parks Department need not complete an EIR to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act. No species threatened with extinction could be crushed, harassed, or driven away whatsoever, and even the most intensive racing wont release any substantial amount of particulate matter into the air affecting surrounding communities. The mitigation measures proposed by the department are completely adequate to ensure against harm to the environment. According to the local coastal plan, the event course is within an area that should be closed to vehicles, therefor the department has no need to even disclose or analyze this conflict. The direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the racing event are negligible, adequate mitigation measures, and no violation of the local coastal plan warrant any the preparation of an EIR.

Sand blowing from the long race course wont impact threatened plant species, no possibility of smothering individual plants and preventing the establishment of new seedlings. Furthermore, these long stretches of beach and dunes are unneeded feeding and wintering habitat for the western snowy plover. Also the breeding season is over for plovers, the habitat at Oceano Dunes is minimally important, and should be protected from over zealous environmentalist. As plovers roost on the ground, they are susceptible to being crushed both day and night by recklessly driven vehicles, permitted events reduce this impact by keeping people on proper routes. The department's proposal to have a single environmental monitor at the event is completely adequate. There are many ways one staff person can ensure against harm to sensitive species in the face of thousands of vehicles and spectators, one is though the use of responsible volunteers the Off Road community provides, not being a litigation based group like the CBD.

Off-road vehicles should not be permitted to degrade the landscape and threaten plants and wildlife at Oceano Dunes, which is why managed events like this should take place, promoting responsible Off Road use. The Parks Department cannot ignore the significant impacts of the unmanaged racing events and the inadequacy of no mitigations. I urge you to protect this beautiful public treasure, and approve this properly managed event which will help keep responsible Off Roaders, good Stewart's of the land.