santa - sierra club...chapter€activist€joan€jones holtz. in charge continued from page 9...

Santa Lucian • Mar/Apr. 2020 1

March/April 2020Volume 57 No. 2

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 te r o f t h e S i e r ra C l u b ~ S a n L u i s O b i s p o Co u n t y, C a l i f o rn i a

Santa LuciaChapter

InsideInsideInsideInsideInsideMeeting: Invest in renewables 2

Our endorsements 3

GreenForce convenes 7

Oceano Dunes countdown 8

Outings 12

SANTA LUCIAN

by Kara Woodruff, Diablo Canyon DecommissioningEngagement Panel The Diablo Canyon Decommissioning EngagementPanel, will meet at 6 p.m. on March 11 at the SLO CountyGovernment Center to cover topics of critical importanceto the decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power Plantand the future of the 12,000-acre Diablo Canyon Landssurrounding the plant. We sincerely hope you’ll be able to attend and speak upabout topics important to this community. On the issue of the Diablo Canyon Lands, we’ll behearing from SLO County and others about the permittingprocess to decommission the plant and whether we canensure the conservation of the lands via that process asmitigation for the multitude of permits needed to close the

On February 12, theHouse of Representativespassed the Central CoastHeritage Protection Act,which will protect forests,shrub and grasslands, andwild rivers on California’sCentral Coast. The bill was introduced inthe House by Representa-tive Salud Carbajal lastyear. If signed into law, itwill protect more than245,000 acres of wilder-ness, create two scenicareas encompassing 34,500acres, safeguard 159 milesof wild and scenic rivers,and designate the 400-mileCondor National RecreationTrail. The measure, supportedby more than 500 civicgroups and leaders,

landowners and inholders,businesses, elected offi-cials, schools, farmers andranchers, and recreationleaders, passed as part of alarger package of publiclands conservation bills. Many of the public landsprotected with this legisla-tion provide access to greenspace near developedcommunities, and are moreaccessible than nationalparks in the region. It is theproduct of years of discus-sion and negotiationinvolving business leaders,conservationists, electedofficials, ranchers, moun-tain bikers, and otherstakeholders interested inthe use and well-being ofthese iconic lands. “This is an historicopportunity to protectspecial places on theCentral Coast, secure thefirst wilderness protectionon the Central Coast intwenty years, and leave alegacy for our children andgrandchildren,” said SanLuis Obispo Mayor HeidiHarmon. “Permanentprotection of Central Coastpublic lands is key to ourregion’s tourism industry, to

Feel the love Central Coast Heritage Protection Act sponsorSalud Carbajal got a valentine at the Feb. 14 Goleta pressconference announcing the passage of his bill in the house.

House Passes Wilderness and RiverProtections for the Central Coast

March 11: Important DiabloCanyon Meeting

CCA continued on page 4 DIABLO continued on page 4

2 Santa Lucian • Mar/Apr. 2020

Printed by University Graphic Systems Cal Poly, San Luis ObispoMailing preparation services courtesy of the Silver Streaks

Wed., March 20Copeland Pavilion, 3rd FloorFrench Medical Center1823 Johnson Ave., SLODoors open: 6:30 p.m.Program: 7-9 p.m.

SierraClubGeneralMeeting

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]

Santa Lucia Chapter

2020 Executive CommitteeJennifer Bauer (12/21) CHAIRHeather Howell (12/20) SECRETARYViolet Sage Walker (12/20) MEMBERStephanie Carlotti (12/20) MEMBERCarmen Bouquin (12/21) MEMBERJanine Rands (12/22) MEMBERMila Vujovich-LaBarre (12/23) VICE CHAIR

Kevin O’Gorman TREASURER

CommitteesPolitical Violet Sage Walker Jennifer BauerMembership/Development Heather Howell, Dani Nicholson

Conservation 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.

Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406805-543-8717

CA Conservation Committee delegates Stephanie Carlotti, Janine RandsCouncil of Club Leaders delegate Jennifer Bauer

Chapter Director Andrew Christie [email protected]

Bookkeeper Sandra Cirilo

Facebook AdministratorKim Ramos

Lindi Doud

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.

Public Lands Task Force Holly SlettelandOutings Chuck Tribbey, Lisa LudoviciWebmasters Monica Tarzier, Stephanie CarlottiTrail Guide Gary Felsman

EDITORAndrew Christie

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

1411 Marsh Street, Suite 204San Luis Obispo, CA

Stephanie Carlotti

Invest in Renewables

Plus: Local updates on GreenForce collaboration and the Green New Deal

In the face of declining prospects for fossil fuels and the vastpotential for growth in renewable energy, what actions shouldboth institutional and individual investors be considering? ScottSecrest from the San Luis Obispo office of Natural Investmentswill be giving us a focused understanding of fossil fuel divest-ment strategies and reinvestment in alternative energyopportunities.

Ed Mainland:1935-2019by Jim Stewart, PhD, Co-chair, Sierra Club CAEnergy-Climate Committee

Let us pause a moment tohonor the passing of EdMainland, former co-chairof the Sierra Club Califor-nia Energy-ClimateCommittee. Ed was a warrior for theenvironment, without whomthere might not be anEnergy-Climate Committee.What I remember as one ofEd’s most importantachievements was hisuntiring advocacy in theestablishment of the firstsuccessful CommunityChoice Energy program,Marin Clean Energy. He was an excellentstrategic planner andorganizer. In 2010, heplanned and co-led theOrganizing Meeting for aSierra Club CaliforniaClean Energy SolutionsCampaign which formedthe basis for our advocacyever since. He also co-wrote manysuccessful policy resolu-tions for Sierra Club

CCA continued on page 4


March 3 is Election Day

California and ensured theypassed the CNRCC, as wellas influencing national ClubEnergy policy. He alsoprepared the minutes forevery one of the hundredsof weekly Committeemeetings from 2008 to2015. He died on Dec. 31,2019, at the age of 84. “I am devastated to hearof the loss of Ed,” saidMichele Perrault, SierraClub President from 1984-86 and 1993-94. “He wasthe most incredible andversatile volunteer onmany levels, providing me

with day to day assistanceas a Senior Fellow, pushingme to engage on a myriadof issues. He did the draft-ing of letters, minutes ofcountless meetings, testi-fied, helped with interna-tional visitors to the Club,and engaged on workinggroups of the International Committee among hismany activities.” “Ed was a huge supportand mentor when I took onthe chairmanship of theCalifornia-Nevada DesertEnergy Committee,” saidJoan Taylor. “He under-stood the balance that canand should be struck whendeveloping renewable

energy. Ed was so clearthinking and articulate —he was never afraid to“speak the truth to power”as he put it. I will misshim.” California DemocraticParty Delegate MikeBullock recalls “We met ata Democratic Conventionabout 11 years ago. He wasat a small table in a hallway.We had a great conversa-tion. I told him I was amember since 1971 and hetold me about the SierraClub and the EnergyCommittee. He invited meto call in. He helped inspireme to do a Sierra Club tableat the next Convention. He

and Jim Stewart were game-changers for me and I wasinspired to do resolutions. He was smart and direct.” “We have certainly lost agreat champion for theenvironment,” said AngelesChapter activist Joan JonesHoltz.

In Chargecontinued from page 9

Sierra Club publications containing electoral content may not be posted to a Sierra Clubwebsite unless the original publication was paid for by a Political Action Committee.


Welcome New Members!Whether new to the Sierra Club or new to San LuisObispo, welcome all to the Santa Lucia Chapter. We’revery happy to have you aboard!

Diane ReinertKris RoudebushJordon MoncriefGerald ClareJames MurphyRon PigeonAndy MadjediPatricia WagnerLauri GrahamFlávia ParottiFrank WestGPS PetersonMike Guarino

plant – as well as theburden that we as residentsof the Central Coast mustbear in the decommission-ing process, including thestorage of radioactivenuclear waste that mayremain on the central coastfor decades to come. We’ll also hear about theTribal Lands Policyrecently adopted by theCalifornia Public UtilitiesCommission. This policymay affect the dispositionof the northern portion ofthe Diablo Canyon Landsand could result in theownership of that land bytribal interests. While itseems fair to return the landto those it was stolen from

generations ago, this couldhave significant implica-tions for the conservation ofand/or public access to theland. PG&E will be providingupdates on its bankruptcyand related reorganization,the decommissioning trustfund, and the Request forProposal process for futuredry casks to store radioac-tive nuclear waste on site. As always, there will bepublic comment period. For more informationabout issues relating to thedecommissioning process,please see the EngagementPanel’s website atwww.diablopanel.org/. Or visit Facebook andlike “Central Coast Conser-vation.” You will find thefinal meeting agenda andother details there.

Diablocontinued from page 1

By Kathryn Phillips, Director, Sierra Club CaliforniaCapitol Voice

A California version of Green NewDeal legislation was introduced onJanuary 7, the first day of this newlegislative year. At a Sacramento press conference,Assemblymember Rob Bonta describedthe California Green New Deal as a“bold transformation bill that addressesthe existential threat of climate changewhile prioritizing equity throughout.” Assembly Bill 1839 is authored byAssemblymembers Bonta, David Chiu,Ash Kalra, Eloise Reyes and ShirleyWeber. Co-authors include Assembly-members Todd Gloria, Marc Berman,Richard Bloom, Kansen Chu, RobertRivas, Mark Stone, and Buffy Wicks. The Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) issponsoring the bill. A coalition of environmental justice,environmental, social justice, labor and other groups haveworked on its development, and Sierra Club California hasa support position on it. The bill as drafted provides a declaration of twelveprinciples that address climate change, education, socialjustice, racism, labor justice and health access. It also listsother findings that boost the notion that addressing equity

goes hand in hand with addressing climate solutions. The bill also contains a section that suggests goals to beachieved to actualize the principles. Generally, it lays a foundation for other future legislationthat will advance the goals. The bill’s author has beendeveloping amendments to help make certain California’sGreen New Deal clears the legislature after hearings inpolicy committees. Stay tuned to your email for more about how you canhelp move this bill forward.

The Green New Deal Comes to California

Teresa DrewKathryn GibbsJohn RoadyToni DeckerDixie Van BurenToshiro Newsum

We Are On Meetup!Join us on hiking, backpacking, camping,and other outdoor adventures in andaround SLO County with a click of yourmouse button! Our activities also includeoutdoor skills training such as wildernessfirst aid, navigation, and outdoorleadership. You don’t have to be a SierraClub member to be part of our MeetupGroup. Go on the Meetup website, ordownload the app, go to “San LuisObispo Sierra Club” and request to join. meetup.com/San-Luis-Obispo-Sierra-Club-Meetup-Group/


Imagine if the CoachellaMusic Festival relocated tojust outside the southentrance to Yosemite, andthat was the only entranceto the park. The traffic fromthe 250,000 daily guestswould severely impact parkaccess and discourage manypeople from even trying tovisit the park. Access to the four milesof beautiful beaches anddiverse coastal-dependentrecreation along the AvilaCoast is facing a similarthreat. The Avila Beach GolfCourse is seeking twopermits to create the largestbeach-adjacent privateevent facility ever permittedin California. It wouldallow unlimited events withup to 1,000 guests, includ-ing multiple events on thesame day at several dif-ferent onsite venues. Inaddition, it would allowseventeen larger eventsevery summer with up to5,000 guests. This proposedpermanent, multi-venueevent complex borders thebeach at Avila and the Bob

Jones Trail. It is a bad idea to permitthis large event facility atthe edge of Avila Beach.There is a reason why noother local government onthe coast of California hasever approved a permanentprivate event facility this

large adjacent to the beach.It defies basic principles ofgood land use planning. SLO County’s coastcomprises less than 1/1,000of the land area in thecounty and is the only placeresidents and visitors canengage in coastal-depen-dent recreation (i.e. some-thing that requires theocean or beach). Therefore,it makes sense to givecoastal-dependent rec-reation priority over otherland uses. Californiansvoted overwhelmingly toenshrine this concept intolaw when they approved theCoastal Act over forty yearsago. By contrast, there arehundreds of potential eventsites in the remaining 3,600square miles of the countywith good freeway access. Large events (especiallythose serving alcohol)should have access to a

nearby freeway via multiplefeeder streets. The 300-foot ridges that surroundAvila block access exceptthrough a gap adjacent tothe SLO Creek Estuary. Asa result, Avila can only beaccessed via a three-milelong, two-lane road withblind curves and minimalshoulders. Is that the kindof event egress you want todrive when you’ve had afew drinks? The adjacentcliff and estuary ensure thatit will never be practical towiden it.

An Avila Event Complex: An Unprecedented Bad IdeaBy Jim Miers, Surfrider Foundation San Luis Obispo Chapter, Save the Avila Coast Campaign Coordinator

Too much Concert guests don’t go to Avila to use the beach.Why not locate this inland and avoid traffic jams that impedeaccess to the beach for those who want to use it?

TAKE ACTION

Urge the Board of Supervi-sors not to allow this or anyother project that willimpede access to the AvilaCoast. Send an email [email protected]/.


protecting endangeredwildlife, and to preservingvital cultural and ecologicalresources.” Last year, Senator KamalaHarris also introduced theCentral Coast HeritageProtection Act in theSenate. The day after thebill passed the House,Senator Harris and SenatorDianne Feinstein reintro-duced companion legisla-tion – the ProtectingUnique and BeautifulLandscapes by Investing inCalifornia (PUBLIC) LandsAct — that will protectpublic lands on the Centraland North Coasts, and the

San Gabriels. “Few places can matchCalifornia’s beauty, in partthanks to the success we’vehad protecting our richnatural resources,” saidFeinstein. “Our bill wouldbuild on that strong envi-ronmental legacy by safe-guarding key portions of theSan Gabriel Mountains, theCentral Coast and NorthernCalifornia’s forests and

rivers. Investingin public landspreservation willpay dividends forgenerations tocome.” The House billwould protectspecial places inthe Los Padres

National Forest and theCarrizo Plain NationalMonument. Los Padres NationalForest, California’s secondlargest national forest, risesfrom the Pacific Ocean toover 8,800 feet in elevationand provides habitat for468 species of wildlife,including the endangeredCalifornia condor and thesouthern steelhead. The

400-mile Condor Trailwould connect the southernand northern portions of theforest. The Carrizo PlainNational Monument ishome to Native Americancultural sites and an incred-ible diversity of plant andanimal life, includingthreatened and endangeredspecies such as the Tule elkand Pronghorn antelope. Local community mem-bers and visitors to the LosPadres National Forest andCarrizo Plain NationalMonument enjoy outstand-ing recreational opportuni-ties, including hiking,camping, bird watching,horseback riding, kayaking,hunting and fishing.

Wildernesscontinued from page 1

Directive adopts “Buy Clean” for state’s largest city

On February 10, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed“L.A.’s Green New Deal: Leading By Example.” Joined bya diverse coalition of elected officials, environmentaladvocates, business leaders, and young climate activists forthe signing of Executive Directive No. 25, the Mayor laidout a vision for a carbon-neutral Los Angeles and acommitment to environmental justice and equity. The directive effectively adopted as city policy a statelaw designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions frombuilding materials. Through his directive, Garcetti has instructed the cityengineer to adopt the guidelines of the Buy Clean Califor-nia Act, which was passed by the legislature in 2017 andapplies to state agencies. It establishes a process by whichagencies will purchase from less polluting manufacturers

certain building materials, including steel. The mayor’s directive also instructs the city engineer tostudy the use of building materials that actually sequestercarbon and report back to the mayor’s office. “Mayor Garcetti has taken an important step to cutclimate polluting emissions from the stream of buildingmaterials that public money buys,” said Kathryn Phillips,Director of Sierra Club California. “Other cities haveadopted resolutions supporting the Buy Clean CaliforniaAct. But this is the first time a California city has stronglyaligned its purchasing decisions with the act and its intent.Purchasing power is a strong tool for persuading industriesto clean up their manufacturing processes. Los Angeles hasa lot of purchasing power that is now going to be put towork to deliver more benefits to people and the planet.”

L.A. Advances Cutting Carbon Through Procurement Policies


GreenForce: All Together Now On Feb. 2, 2020, theSanta Lucia Chapter of theSierra Club, with co-sponsors SLO BotanicalGarden and Ecologistics,presented the First AnnualGreenForce EnvironmentalConference to 47 environ-mental leaders and indi-viduals. Organizations from SLO,Monterey and SantaBarbara counties came tothe Garden. As the firstevent in a year-longproposed calendar, we aredetermined, through ourshared actions, to have acontinual presence for theenvironment in this criticalelection year. The annual BioneersConference, brought toSLO County annually byEcologistics, ended the daybefore GreenForce andserved as the first round ina 1-2 punch to delivermeaningful action on theclimate crisis and the GreenNew Deal. Our GreenForce confer-ence captured the excite-ment of Bioneers andignited a commitment toshared actions among ourlocal organizations to begin2020 in full action mode. Itwas a successful work-partyfor strategizing andcommitting to our sharedvision, brainstorming, andeven scheduling events thatday. If you want view theconference results orparticipate in the ongoingdiscussion, send an email [email protected] toreceive an invitation toSlack. Follow-up eventswill be in April andSeptember, TBA. “I’m so happy I got to see

By Heather Howell, Development Chair and Secretary, Santa Lucia Chapter Executive Committee

the conference in actionmyself,” said Sara Danta-Wyrens of the Sierra Club’sToiyabe Chapter (Nevada).“In just a few short hours,our table at least had a bigplan in place, and I knowwe’ll implement this plan.” “I enjoyed every minuteof it,” said Sandra Marshall,

Founderof SLOEarthDay. “Itwas greatto see somanyenviron-ment-related

Chenda Lor of SLO Botanical Garden, Heather Howell of Sierra Club, and Stacey Hunt of Ecologisticswelcome attendees.

groups together, face toface, in one place for thegood of the whole. Noegos, just great work.” The GreenForce collabo-ration will sound a heart-beat that will pound everlouder toward the Novem-ber elections, with eventsthroughout the county thatdemand earth justice &environmental sanity.

Carmen Bouquin led the discussion on environmentaljustice.

Leola McMillan facilitated.


At the July 11, 2019, meeting of the California Coastal Commission in San Luis Obispo, The California Department ofParks and Recreation promised to deliver to the Coastal Commission a Public Works Plan for the Oceano Dunes StateVehicular Recreation Area one year from that date, with quarterly updates as the date approaches. As you may surmise from our headline, that date, to the surprise of no one, has started to slip. The promised July 2020delivery of the PWP will now happen -- until we hear otherwise -- in September. In agreeing to await the arrival of that plan, the Coastal Commission suspended action on more than a dozen permitconditions that had been drafted to compel State Parks to end the chronic violations of its permit and the CaliforniaCoastal Act at the dunes. Commissioners made it clear to State Parks that its draft plan will need to reckon with thechanges that the Commission otherwise would have compelled via those conditions to their permit. Or at least, theythought they made it clear. As we approach the date of the Coastal Commission meeting at which it is supposed to either approve or reject StateParks’ plan for the future of the ODSVRA, the Santa Lucian is devoting space to a series of articles that examine theissues swirling around the longest running environmental problem on the Central Coast.

ODSVRA at D Minus 4 (+2)

Oh, Is That What you Said? The California Department of Parks and Recreation — inthe grip of the Off Highway Vehicle Division, State Parks’controlling authority when it comes to the Oceano DunesState Vehicular Recreation Area

include specifics, such as a timeline and milestones. The following day, the Commission sent Parks a lettermemorializing the outcome of that meeting. Commission

Chair Dayna Bochco reiterated toState Parks Director Lisa Mangat thatState Parks “must respond to andaddress all of the concerns identifiedin this letter.” Over the next several months,several more letters followed withadditional reiterations of that out-come, along with multiple Commis-sion and Parks staff meetings. In October, State Parks presented itsfirst update. It was general, vague,and notably short on any detailsregarding those 15 short-termsuspended permit conditions and anyvision for a long-term OHV-freefuture at the Dunes.Again, Coastal Commissionersrequested specifics, with timelinesand milestones. In a letter dated Dec. 13, 2019, theCommission’s Central Coast DistrictSupervisor reminded State Parkssenior staff that at the July meeting,the Commission had found:

“that continuing OHV use in dune[Environmentally Sensitive HabitatArea] is inconsistent with bothCoastal Act and LCP provisionsregarding the protection of sensitivedune habitats, and a PWP that

How about something slightly lessunacceptable? State Parks’ plans for the OsoFlaco Lake area of the Oceano Dunes aresymptomatic of the overall problem with PublicWorks Plan. After being told by Coastal staff thatintensive development of the undeveloped areawas “going in the wrong direction,” Parks hasreworked the plan, but it’s still a project thatwould convert agricultural land and proposesdevelopment that’s not permittable in the CoastalZone. DUNES continued on next page

— continued its struggle tocomprehend the spoken andwritten word at the Feb. 13meeting of the California CoastalCommission in Long Beach. At the San Luis Obispo meetingin July 2019, after many hours ofdiscussion, the Commission toldState Parks they were not going tolower the boom via mandatoryamendments to Parks’ CoastalDevelopment Permit becauseParks agreed to instead addressall the measures and permitconditions in its forthcomingPublic Works Plan (PWP), asweeping plan for future manage-ment of the Park. Chief among those measures:The primary long-term goal oftransitioning the Oceano Dunesaway from OHV activities, whichare fundamentally incompatiblewith the requirement of theCalifornia Coastal Act and theCounty’s Local Coastal Plan(LCP), a finding reiterated in thestaff report for that day’s hearing atleast half a dozen times. The Commission also told StateParks it expected to receivequarterly updates on the progressof that plan, updates that should


ways to transition the ODSVRA away from OHV use toother forms of public access and recreation.’”

continues long term OHV use cannot be found consis-tent with the LCP. As the Commission identified in itsaction, including through the letter that provides theCommission’s direction to Parks that is dated July 12,2019: ‘the problems identified in this letter are signifi-cant and fundamental inconsistencies with the CoastalAct and suggest that it is time to start thinking about

Dunescontinued from page 8

vehicle recreation looks like” in late spring, said ParksDirector Mangat. And: “We realize we have to be morespecific.” But there was also this: “We’re driving towards a Public Works Plan that isconsistent with the Coastal Act,” Mangat said. “So that isour goal. And I recognize that that’s a challenge, but we’realso really paying attention to the signals that you folks

may send, or to the

On Jan. 23, 2020, Parks Director Lisa Mangat wroteback, stating her agency’s belief that the Commission’sdirective required them only to address “15 new conditionsto the existing [Coastal Development Permit]…in its PWPdevelopment process” and that “the explicit direction andaction of the Commission did not include phasing out off-highway vehicle use altogether at Oceano Dunes SVR A.” Not surprisingly, at the Coastal Commission’s Feb. 13meeting, Central Coast District Director Dan Carl reportedto the Commissioners “We’ve been getting concernedabout the progress…. We’re seven months away fromideally having a PWP hearing where the Commission isgonna either approve, or approve with conditions, or denya PWP. We really need to have focus from all participantsto make sure that we can actually hit that time frame. Ithink staff’s really concerned that we may not be able toget the PWP in a form that the Commission can review inSeptember.” “One of the key things …has been the concept ofexploring an alternative for less intensive use out there,including… looking at ways to transition away from OHVuse. We identified that again for State Parks.” Carl then submitted his entry for Understatement of theDecade: “Their intention isn’t to eliminate OHV use,” hesaid, so “we’re gonna run into that conflict” at the Septem-ber hearing. Wistful words came from the dais, directed at State ParksDirector Lisa Mangat: Commissioner Sara Aminzadeh said: “It’s unclear to mehow progress is being made. [There are] a lot of referencesto things that you are looking at…. We’d like to see a lotmore specifics about what is happening and when. It wouldbe helpful to get more of a progress report than a re-sponse.” Commissioner Caryl Hart said: “I really hope that at ournext meeting we’re seeing some real movement to stepaway from the existing use and find a way to respond to therequirements of the Coastal Act.” Several commissioners noted that 2019’s record sixfatalities in the Park in one year is way too many. Commis-sioner Mike Wilson commented that if that happened in anamusement park, with a far higher level of use, that placewould be shut down. And next time, please include thenumber of serious injuries in your report, not just deaths. Finally, there was this:“We will be addressing what a phase-out of off highway

Groom: “Six deaths in oneyear is way too many.”

Aminzadeh: “It’s unclear tome how progress is beingmade.”

Mangat: “We’ll start maybehaving the robust conversationthat perhaps we needed tohave sooner about what exactlyyour comfort level is in terms ofyour sense of what’s consistentwith the Coastal Act.”

staff, because it’s notour intent after thislong process to jamyou with something orsurprise you that at theend of this process westart maybe having therobust conversationthat perhaps weneeded to have soonerabout what exactlyyour comfort level is

in terms of your sense ofwhat’s consistent with the

Coastal Act. Werecognize that that’s achallenge. We want tohelp get there and getto a product that’s, youknow, consistent withthe Coastal Act.” State Parks obvi-ously doesn’t like thewords it has heard. Theprospect of “a robustconversation” that willonly come at “the end

of this process,” the hope tofind a “comfort level” other

than the one that wasexplicitly statedmonths ago, and thesearch for a differentmeaning in the wordsit has heard – via aquest for other wordsor “signals” – con-tinues apace. The next update ofthe Public Works Planfor the Oceano DunesSVRA and Pismo

Beach State Park is sched-uled to be heard at theCoastal Commission’s April15-17 meeting in Oxnard.


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Waxing Gibbous (almost full)moon hike. An easy out andback hike @ 6 miles and 300ft. elevation gain. We will walkthrough oak woodland withamazing views of Morro Bayjust as the sun sets and moonrises. Bring headlamp or flash-light, water and snacks. TheQuarry trailhead is on SouthBay Blvd. in Los Osos. FromHighway 1 N take the SouthBay Blvd. exit and go 1.5miles, make a left into theparking lot. From Los OsosValley Rd., take South BayBlvd. 2.8 miles, go right intothe parking lot. Dinner afterfor those interested. Sorry, nodogs allowed in this part ofMorro Bay State Park. Con-tact/RSVP Lisa with ques-tions. [email protected],310-864-4679.

Saturday, March 14th, 8:00a.m., American Canyon toBuckeye Camp. Out and backin the Garcia Wilderness.

Strenuous 12 mile hike with2000 ft. elevation gain. Thecondition of this trail is un-known because it is not easilyaccessed, but there will besome poison oak. We willcross a shallow section of theSalinas River. Minor creekcrossings along the route. Youmay go part way as this is anin and out on the same trails.Bring lunch and water. Expectto be out all day. We must passthrough a locked gate to driveto the trail head. Meet in SantaMargarita at Pacific BeverageCo. Rain or extreme heat willpostpone. Behaved dogs onleash. For questions, contactCarlos at 805 546-0317.

Saturday, March 14th, 9:00a.m., Adobe Springs Trail offof Hwy 166. A 5-mile roundtrip hike with views down theCuyama Valley and chance ofwild-flowers! Bring a hat, sun-screen, plenty of water, long-sleeve shirt, long pants, sturdywalking shoes. Carpool – meetat 8:30 am at intersection ofHwy 101 and 166 (west on

Hutton Rd., parking by Cuy-ama Lane). If meeting at trail-head, arrive by 9:00 a.m., goto Adobe Spring trailhead onthe north side of Hwy 166, @21 miles east of 101, on theleft. Polite dogs on leash. Rainor threat of rain cancels. Con-tact Andrea, 805-934- 2792.

Sat-Sun March 21st – 22nd,7:00 a.m., San Luis NationalWildlife Refuge Hike –Kesterson Unit. (Multi-daycar camp or hotel). Step intoprimordial California grass-lands with an incredible diver-sity of native plants, grassesand birds. The Kesterson Unitis a hidden gem and sees verylittle human activity this timeof year because it is one of theonly units prohibiting autotours: foot traffic only. About 9miles of easy hiking trails, butits free-roam so we don’t haveto stay on the trails. Expect 9 -12 miles of hiking on flat,even terrain, vernal pools,wildflowers and an abundanceof birds and other wildlife.Time permitting, we may visita smaller walk-in only unit.We’ll set up at a smallcampground on the MercedRiver or San Luis Reservoircampground. Both can accom-modate tents and RVs. Optionto drive to Modesto for hotelaccommodations. OptionalSunday hike at Great ValleyGrasslands State Park. Sorry,no dogs. The Refuge is 181miles and 2hrs 50 mins fromSan Luis Obispo. We willchoose a meet point in SLOand plan at least one stopalong the way. 8 Spots avail-able. Contact/RSVP Lisa withquestions, [email protected] or 310-864-4679and let me know whetheryou’ll be camping or staying ata hotel.

Sun. March 29th, 2 p.m.,Historic Walk: Jazz-AgeSLO to World War II. Whereare the hotel where Hearstentertained his guests, thespeakeasies of the twenties, theoriginal French Hospital? Findout and much more on aguided downtown stroll ofSLO. Hear stories of its

changing social life from theModel T years to Prohibition,Depression, and Pearl Harbor.About 1 1/2 hrs. Meet at cor-ner of Marsh and Toro.Leader: Joe Morris, 805-549-0355.

Friday, Sat.& Sun., April3rd, 4th,& 5th, Carrizo PlainNational Monument. We maynot have the splendor that wehad in 2017 and 2019, buteven in a dry year it is worththe drive. Loosely organizedcar camping and hiking event;join our group for all or part ofthe weekend. If Selby Rockscar camp is full, we’ll stay atKCL car camp. Both are free.On Saturday we will rendez-vous at Selby Rocks Camp atapproximately 9 a.m. and carpool to a hike destination tohike. Leader has a white FordRanger pick-up with a silvershell on the bed. Car campersare responsible for your foodand water. Water not alwaysrunning at the camp. Rain willpostpone. For more informa-tion and/or directions. contactCarlos at 805 546-0317.

Saturday, April 4, 9 a.m.,High Mountain Rd. to Con-dor Lookout. Moderatelystrenuous, out-and-back 10-mile hike past wildflowermeadows, chaparral, andmountain peaks to condolookout station atop High Mt.Peak. Option to go part wayand turn back early. Bringwater, sun protection, snacks,dress in layers, wear sturdyshoes. Binoculars useful tospot a condor! From ArroyoGrande, follow signs to LopezLake. After crossing the dambut before entering LopezLake County Park, turn righton High Mountain Rd for 12.6miles, (bearing right on UpperLopez Rd. to stay on HighMt.) to second gate, parkingarea, and trailhead. High Mt.Rd. is easy on cars until thisspot—no need for four-wheeldrive. Alternatively, meet atthe Ridge Trail staging area,just past upper Lopez Canyon/High Mt. Rd junction at 7:30to carpool in. For more info,

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(805) 549-0355

Bill Waycott, Outings Chair(805) 459-2103 [email protected]

contact Leader: Andrea Ortizat 934-2792 or [email protected]. Rain or seriousthreat of rain cancels.

Saturday, April 11th, 7 a.m.– 6 p.m., Pinnacles – BearGulch to High Peaks Loop. Amoderate hike through Cali-fornia’s newest and one of themost beautiful National Parks.Views, geology, natural historyand a great time to see anabundance of wildflowers.We’ll start from Bear Gulch,climb to the High Peaks looptrail, then back along theReservoir Trail and throughthe Lower Caves. @ 9 miles,1320 ft. elevation gain. HighPeaks trail is steep and narrowand involves a bit of rockscrambling, including smallsteps carved into stone. Bringwater, lunch, snacks. Water-proof boots suggested. 106miles and 2 hours from SanLuis Obispo. We will meet inthe County for those who wantto carpool. $30 per vehiclecharge for day use. Possibledinner after before the drivehome. Sorry, no dogs. 12Spots. Contact/RSVP Lisawith questions [email protected] or 310-864-4679.

Saturday, April 11th, 7:30a.m., Santa Lucia Trail toPimkolam (Junipero Serra)Peak. A spring hike to thehighest point on the CentralCoast. This is an out and backstrenuous hike of 12 mileswith 3,800 ft. of elevation

gain. Experienced and con-ditioned hikers only. Begins atMemorial Park (IndianStations) campground. Trailascends through oak wood-lands and chaparral to a sad-dle, where we catch the sum-mit spur trail through a pineforest to an old fire tower atthe summit, 5,862 feet. Possi-bility of ticks and probablypoison oak along the trail.Bring plenty of water, lunch,snacks, dress for the weather.Meet at Las Tablas ride-shareparking lot in Templeton at7:30 a.m., on south side of theroad, west of Highway 101after the Las Tablas exit (GPS:35.5538N 120.7136W). Wewill carpool to the trailhead, @90-minute drive. Rain cancels.Please do not bring dogs. Thiswill be an all-day adventure.Confirm with the leader. CallBill, 805-459-2103.

Sunday, April 19th, DunaVista Lookout Lopez LakeHike. 7 miles. Hike #102 in“Day Hikes in SLO.” 7:40 ammeet-up in Strother Park, 1150Huasna Rd. Arroyo Grande tocarpool, or meet at 8am at thehike start: out of the Entrancestation turn right and continue1.3 miles on Lopez Drive. Gopast Vista Lago and park onthe right near the end of theroad. Dana Vista is a 1,178foot summit overlook. Thehike crosses the peninsula thatseparates the arms of LopezLake, then climbs to the DunaVista summit. Possibility ofticks, rattlesnakes, mountainlion and poison oak - dressaccordingly. Bring water,

sunscreen, snacks. BonnieErnst 805-801-6148.

Sunday, Apr. 19th, 9:00 am,Santa Rita Creek Rd. moun-tain bike ride. This will be anout and back ride of about 2hours with a one-way distanceof roughly 6.5 miles on amostly unpaved road. SantaRita Creek Road hugs OldCreek for several miles until itclimbs out of the canyon for aspectacular view of NorthCounty. There is a steady ele-vation gain towards the end,leading up to the crest, wherewe plan to turn around. Bringyour bike, helmet, otherappropriate gear, and water/snacks. Meet at the corner ofOld Creek Road and Santa

Rita CreekRoad, 3.8miles fromHwy 1 inCayucos,on OldCreekRoad(GPS:35.47250N120.8558W).For car-poolingfrom SanLuisObispo,meet at

Santa Rosa Park at 8:30 amand RSVP if you plan tocarpool. Contact Bill, 805-459-2103. Rain or threat ofrain cancels.

Sun., April 26th, 2 p.m.Historic Walk: RemarkableTrees of San Luis Obispo. Ona downtown stroll, learn thestory of SLO as told by 15distinctive trees, including thepepper trees of Mission days,the eucalyptus of Victoriantimes, and ending with theApollo 11 Moon Tree of 1976.Duration about 1 1/2 hrs. Meetat the corner of Broad andMonterey Sts. Leader: JoeMorris, 805-549-0355.

Sat, May 2nd, 8:30 a.m.,Montana de Oro State ParkHike: Oats Peak to FalseAlan. Meet at Valencia PeakTrailhead. Strenuous hike @14 miles RT and 2,240 ft. ele-vation gain. Unique geology,plant life and wildflowers.Bring at least 2.5 liters ofwater, lunch and snacks. Lug-sole boots (not sneakers) rec-ommended for the gravellytrails and potential rattle-snakes. Dogs not allowed onany MDO trails. Contact Lisawith questions, [email protected] or 310-864-4679.

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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 drinkingwater to all outings and optionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listedare within area code 805 unless otherwise noted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or respon-sible adult must accompany children under the age of 18. If you have any suggestions for hikes oroutdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader,call Outings Chair Chuck Tribbey, (805) 441-7597. For information on a specific outing, please call thelisted outing leader.

This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.

Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for

the most up-to-date listing ofactivities.

Desk: $14.40Wall: $13.50

call 805/458-2971or [email protected]

Last chance! Clearance!

Your purchasesupports thework of yourlocal chapter.

Sierra ClubSanta Lucia ChapterP. O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 84

SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401

Sunday March 1st 9:00 a.m.,Rinconada Trail. We will hiketo the summit, then head alongthe ridge to Hi Mountain Road& return to the Trail where itmeets Hi Mountain Road. Wewill ascend to the Ridge againfor a snack overlooking theSanta Lucias, then descend tothe trailhead. About 5 mileswith 1000 ft. elevation gain.Meet at the trailhead off WestPozo Road. Bring snack,water, non-slip shoes and dress

for the weather. Rain or threatof rain cancels. For moreinformation, call Gary at(805)473-3694.

Saturday, March 7th 8:30a.m., Salmon Creek Trail andSpruce Creek Trail to DutraFlat Camp. Moderate tostrenuous hike in the SilverPeak wilderness in southernBig Sur area. 8.4 miles with @2100 ft. elevation gain. Afterleaving the Salmon Creek trail

after 2 miles, we will hikethrough Spruce Creek Canyonup to a grassland beforecoming to Dutra Flat Camp, anold homestead. Possibility ofticks. Poison oak will be alongthe trail in places. Bring water,snacks or lunch, dress forthe weather. Meet at theWashburn Day Use areaof San Simeon StatePark, on the right side ofHighway 1 about 2 milesnorth of Cambria. Wewill carpool about 30minutes to the trailhead.Dogs must be on leash.Rain cancels. For info,call Chuck at 805-441-7597.

Saturday, March 7th 4 – 8p.m., Almost Full Moon Hike

Quarry Trail, Morro BayState Park. Celebrate thereturn of longer days with a

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$9.00

santa - sierra club...chapter€activist€joan€jones holtz. in charge continued from page 9...

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