A State Park is at Risk

"San Onofre State Beach is one of the last remnants of large coastal open space in Southern California.  Sea and sky, surf and reef, beach and coastal bluff, wetland and grassland, sycamore groves and scrub, hillsides and arroyos, long coastal strip and broad coastal valley...Experiencing the broad, natural expanses of San Mateo Valley, the coastline, and the sea reinvigorates, the senses and renews the spirit."--State Parks and Recreation "Mitigation Assessment of the FTC-South Impacts on San Onofre State Beach.

Not only does this project threaten San Onofre State Beach, but all of our state parks would be at risk.  This project would set a dangerous precedent for what is an acceptable use of a state park.

Development would Devastate Popular Park

The proposed Foothill-South Toll Road extension through the inland portion of San Onofre State Beach would devastate the park, ruin a popular campground and threaten the world-famous Trestles surfing beach. Among Southern California surfers, the Trestles breaks are known as "The Yosemite of Surfing." As the California Department of Parks and Recreation has noted, "Trestles is such a vital surfing experience that for many, it is the paragon of surfing destinations and each visit is a pilgrimage." Interference with natural stream erosion and sedimentation, pollution of currently clean creeks with runoff, and light pollution would compound the problems the toll road would create.

If the Foothill-South toll road is built through this park, then the California Department of Parks and Recreation will relinquish the majority of the inland portion of the park, depriving Californians of an important park resource.

Affordable Camping would be Lost

The developed 161-unit San Mateo Campground provides rare affordable public access to a rural coastal valley and a world-class surfing beach for thousands of families annually. Construction of the toll road through the park would also preclude the development of a second family campground of 150 to 200 sites, an interpretive site, an equestrian camp and seven primitive or environmental camp areas.

A Land Conservancy would be Impacted

The proposed Foothill-South Toll Road would run through the entire length of the Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy.  This land was set aside as mitigation for the Talega Development in San Clemente.  This project would set a terrible precedent for what is an acceptable use of mitigated lands.

A Sacred Native American Site would be Impacted

The proposed Foothill-South Toll Road would devastate sacred Acjachemen and Juaneño grounds at Panhe.  Over 90% of Orange County’s archaeological sites have already been destroyed or paved over by development. Our last remaining cultural sites are a unique and irreplaceable resource

Endangered Species in Jeopardy
An astounding number of threatened and endangered species depend on the park for protection. The park is one of the three known locations for the Pacific Pocket Mouse. Southern Steelhead Trout race through the park to spawn in upstream ponds and also spend time in the park's estuary. Least Bell's vireo, southwestern flycatcher, and gnatcatchers are some of the rare birds that inhabit the chaparral and riverine habitat.