Check out these two great programs to help prevent ocean pollution from urban runoff and conserve water in our
current drought:
Ocean Friendly Gardens is a Surfrider program that offers simple steps in your own garden to create beautiful landscapes that capture
the eye of your neighbors while capturing the polluted runoff that flows to our local beaches.
The 20 Gallon Challenge is a program from the San Diego County Water Authority to conserve water with lots of
great no cost and low cost tips. Take the challenge today!
Only Rain Goes Down the Storm Drain!
Have you seen a storm water violation around town and wondered how to stop it?
Do you know what constitues a storm water violation?
Click Here for some basic info on storm drain violations and contact info for local storm water departments throughout San Diego County.
Surfrider joins with Surfshot!
San Diego's Surf Report Website
SurfShot Shows You Were to Go
Check out the special Surfshot/Surfrider membership package and sign up today!
• Daily Surf Reports - with Photos
• 25 Local Surf Reports from Oceanside to Sunset Cliffs
• Photos of Current Conditions - 2X per day
• Early Bird and Afternoon Reports
• Accurate and Dependable Surf Forecasts
• SurfShot Members Save $$$ at Local Shops
• and much more!
The
Surfrider Code is a Surfrider Foundation Australia initiative that aims to reduce surfing
injuries by reminding everyone to respect and enjoy the surf by exercising good surfing manners.
Ocean Illness Form
If you have been sick lately and think that it may be caused by ocean water contact, please tell us about it:
Anyone can sign up to become a Surfrider Foundation Member.
We also offer special Surfrider Foundation membership packages with Surfline, Longboard Magazine, Surfers Path magazine, and SurferMag.
Remember - When
signing up,
please make sure to indicate that you are signing up through the efforts of the San Diego Chapter (from the drop down list at the bottom of the online sign up form).
When you do this, your local chapter will receive a portion of your membership donation to help with local campaigns and programs.
Trestles Update: Tell the Folks in DC to Protect Trestles
We have until May 28th to contact the Secretary of Commerce and ask him to deny the TCA appeal and uphold the California Coastal Commission's decision.
On April 18, we hand delivered over 3,500 letters to the Secretary of Commerce asking him to grant a public hearing. At this point, we do not know if the Secretary will grant a public hearing (we'll let you know as soon as we know), but in the meantime take a few seconds to complete this action alert.
We are asking the Secretary to review the TCA appeal based on facts consistent with applicable state laws, and to uphold California's right and responsibly to protect coastal resources for those who use (and care for) San Onofre State Beach.
On Wednesday, February 6th, The California Coastal Commission voted 8-2 to reject the planned 241 Toll Road
and to protect Trestles and San Onofre State Beach. Thousands turned out for this historic meeting in Del
Mar, making it clear to the commissioners that the destruction of state parks and coastal resources is
unacceptable.
The record-breaking crowd was comprised of a diverse cross-section of beach users including surfers, students,
families, seniors, fishermen as well as a large number of Native American tribal representatives. Also on hand
was a massive contingent from the surf industry, including various manufacturers, shapers, media representatives
and pro athletes.
Many of you sent letters to the Commission and to the Governor asking that this road be blocked. Many of you told
the Commission on YouTube to protect our state park and beach. And many of you showed up to the meeting prepared
to demonstrate to the commission and the world that our parks and coasts are not to be destroyed.
Of course Surfrider Foundation didn't do this alone. We want to thank our partners with the Sierra Club,
CA State Parks Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Endangered Habitats League, Sea and Sage Audubon Society,
Defenders of Wildlife, Wildcoast and countless others.
While this decision is likely not the death knell for the toll road we would like, there will be a major uphill battle
for them to overcome. We will be there at every step to trip them up and we will need your continuing support.
As expected, the Federal Register printed the notice for the TCA's appeal of the CA Coastal Commission's decision. The CCC's jurisdiction is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which resides in the US Dep't of Commerce. This means that the ultimate decision on whether to honor the CCC's decision or over-ride it lies with the Secretary of Commerce.
NOAA pulled together a really nice FAQ on the process. Of particular importance is this:
"What does the Secretary consider on appeal from a state's objection? The Secretary may override a state's objection if the proposed activity is either:
1)Consistent with the objectives of the CZMA. Projects consistent with the objectives of the CZMA are those where: a) the project furthers the national interest in the CZMA objectives in a significant or substantial manner; b) this national interest outweighs any adverse coastal effects (both separately and cumulatively); and c) there is no reasonable alternative available that would allow the activity to proceed consistent with the state program; or
2)Necessary in the interest of national security."
HUI 300 Challenge
HUI300.com is live, so get your Hui signed up now!
The HUI 300 Challenge is Surfrider SD's newest effort to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches in 2008.
Getting rid of beach and watershed debris makes the ocean healthier and safer surfers and sea life too,
like turtles, birds, and dolphins.
Lead a Hui of 3 or more people in eco-service by each picking up 3 pieces of litter per day from a
beach or watershed for 100 days during the calendar year. Get your Hui* going by following the HUI
300 steps below:
The First Steps: Name your Hui: Hui Jones, Hui Encinitas, Hui Solana Wahines…; Find two others to
commit meet the Hui 300 Challenge; Track and self-report days of each member. Note: The HUI300.org
website is under construction. An email alert will go out as soon as it is ready. Go ahead and form
your Hui and report when your Hui is formed online.
The Qualifiers: A Hui qualifies when 3 members each complete 100 days of eco-service during the
calendar year. The members' days may be different and need not be consecutive.
The Reward: An improved quality of ocean, waves, and beaches; Recognition of your Hui and members
on our website and eblast; Invitation to a special year-end Hui 300 gathering with induction into
the SURFRIDER SD HUI 300!
*A ‘Hui' is Hawaiian for a group or club: the Hui He'enalu is a famous Surf Club.
January: Surfrider Sues Coastal Commission over illegial desalination plant approval. Surfrider filed suit against the California
Coastal Commission (CCC) for inappropriately granting a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to Poseidon Resources for its
proposed Carlsbad desalination facility. The lawsuit alleges the CCC acted prematurely, without fully understanding the
environmental impacts of the project or how such impacts would ultimately be mitigated.
The California Coastal Act requires Poseidon to minimize marine life impacts through the use of the "best technology available"
for producing potable water from seawater. Surfrider and lawsuit partner Planning and Conservation League contend Poseidon's
analysis of alternatives to the project's current design have either not been sufficiently vetted, or simply have not been
made public. Because Poseidon seeks to take advantage of highly damaging seawater intake infrastructure currently being used by
the Encina Power Plant, and the power plant is in the process of abandoning the intake technology altogether, Surfrider's suit
seeks to force Poseidon to assess the impacts of its facility as a "stand-alone" project.
Unless and until the public and decisionmakers are fully aware of the devastating marine life mortality likely to occur from long
term operation of the proposed project, the true cost of Poseidon's proposal cannot be determined. The lawsuit rejects the notion
that production of water can only be had at the expense of invaluable coastal resources.
Surfrider readily admits the San Diego region is in the midst of a serious water crisis, and development of a local drought-proof
water supply is of utmost importance. However, Surfrider advocates for an integrated water management plan, one which appropriately
considers environmental impacts, and does not solve one problem by creating another. In addition to marine life concerns, the
current design of the desalination plant is extremely energy-intensive and will release huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere, thus contributing to Global Warming and further exacerbating our water shortages. With consequences such as these,
ocean desalination is not the "endless supply of water" as Poseidon claims.
While Surfrider does not oppose desalination technology in general and believes it may one day serve as an important part of our
water supply, its time has not yet come. San Diego should first exhaust conservation efforts – specifically outdoor irrigation
conservation -- and water recycling. Both options are much less energy intensive and will result in discharge of far fewer
greenhouse gas emissions. Once environmentally superior options are implemented, only then should desalination be considered
viable, and then only if coupled with an appropriate seawater intake system. Numerous proposals for desalination plants collocated
with existing power plants are making their ways through the regulatory process. Because Poseidon's is the first to be considered,
it must set a high bar for environmental sustainability.
November: On Thursday, November 15, after hours of confusing debate and a list of unanswered
questions, the California Coastal Commission approved a “conditional” Coastal Development Permit for the
Poseidon desalination facility in Carlsbad . This decision happened despite the fact that several
Commissioners and staff noted their opposition to approve the CDP at the time because the application by
Poseidon was lacking so much critical information that an informed decision was impossible. Nonetheless,
through a series of “on the spot” negotiations between Poseidon and a majority on the Commission, led by
Ben Hueso, the permit was granted with conditions that are, as yet, a confusing and likely illegal
application of the Coastal Act and other important laws protecting our coast and ocean.
This decision does not finalize all the permits Poseidon needs to move forward. In fact, a complete permit
from the Regional Water Quality Control Board for the destructive intake for the facility is not final and
the State Lands Commission is currently reviewing whether the facility, as proposed, is in compliance with
their duty to protect public resources – in particular, the impacts of this massive and poorly designed
facility on global warming and efforts to recover healthy marine life populations and ecological processes.
As Yogi Berra might say about the Coastal Commission’s ill-advised conditional permit,
“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”
We will keep our members informed as this precedent-setting proposal moves through the maze of permits.
As we have said before, we are not opposed to properly designed desalination facilities that employ proven
technologies to protect our coast and ocean. But, as noted by Joe Geever, Surfrider’s California Policy
Coordinator, “All the Commission did on Friday was allow the continued destruction of healthy marine
ecosystems with conditions on the permit that didn’t address the problems. It’s like putting lipstick on
a pig and calling it eloquent.”
For more information on desalination, please click HERE
and HERE
Rise Above Plastics!
Rise Above Plastics (RAP) is a starting point for raising awareness of the problems that plastic brings
to our oceans. Every bit of plastic that was ever produced still exists today, and much of it ends up
in the ocean – as evidenced by the infamous flotilla in the
North Central Pacific Gyre. RAP endeavors to
spur you to action – at home, at the store, at city hall. Each of us depends on plastic in some form
every day, but much of it is a convenience choice, a decision that can easily be swayed toward the proper
environmental path, requiring no more effort on your part.
Central to our campaign is an attempt to kill the demand for non-necessary plastics at the source, by
encouraging the development and use of “alternatives” and reduction of packaging. We aim to transcend
(rise above!) the knee-jerk acceptance of single-use plastic bottles or ubiquitous plastic shopping bags
(or other “do-dad” plastic junk created for new, introduced “needs”) when better robust, reusable and
sustainable options exist.
Here are some numbers:
• Californians are issued 600 plastic bags EVERY SECOND. Most are used only one time and then discarded.
• The amount of petroleum required to produce single use water bottles, filter the water, transport and
dispose of these UN-necessities could be represented with each bottle being quarter-filled with petroleum.
The easy targets are the bottles and bags – we are attempting to find ways to shift the general public away
from use of these items through awareness and education, legislation and other innovative methods to be
developed by our members. This is where we hope to activate and energize you – bring on your ideas,
initiatives and impetus! Join the Surfrider Foundation’s RAP campaign and make a difference on our essential
marine environment.
Plastic may not be so fantastic for kids. Click here
to read the recent LA Times Article that talks about growing unease among parents and experts about the potential effects of plastic chemicals on the young.
The City of San Diego Voted to Approve a Resolution to Protect San Onofre State Park!
The Save Trestles campaign won a major victory on September 25th, as the San Diego City Council voted
6-2 to approve a resolution “supporting the examination and implementation of feasible alternative transportation
projects, including improvements to Highway 5 that do not impact San Onofre State Beach, or other park lands,
and beaches.”
Surfrider and our coalition partners maintain that a proposed extension to the SR-241 toll
road will result in adverse impacts to a significant portion of San Onofre State Beach Park and the
surrounding beach and watershed environment. San Diego now joins Los Angeles, San Francisco and a dozen
other cities in passing resolutions supporting efforts to protect San Onofre State Beach Park resources.
With this victory in hand, the Surfrider Foundation is now free to focus on an upcoming hearing by the
California Coastal Commission to determine if plans for the SR-241 toll road extension are consistent with
California Coastal Act. (See below for more info)
Please send a thank you letter or call to the following Coucilmembers who voted for this resolution.
Thank them for protecting our State Parks!
Kevin Faulconer kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov (619) 236-6622
Donna Frye donnafrye@sandiego.gov (619)236-6616,
Tony Young anthonyyoung@sandiego.gov (619) 236-6644
Toni Atkins toniatkins@sandiego.gov (619) 236-6633
Brian Maienshein: bmaeinshein@sandiego.gov (619) 236-6655
Scott Peters: ScottPeters@sandiego.gov (619) 236-6611
Surfrider is continuing the fight to protect San Onofre/Trestles! One major step in the battle is having more
elected officials sign the endorsement list; so far, the list is impressive. Taking a stand against the Toll
Road through the park are Representative Susan Davis, Congressman Bob Filner, Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, Francine Busby, State Senator
Christine Kehoe, Assembly members Mary Salas, Lori Saldana and the cities of San Diego, LA, Oceanside, IB, and Laguna
Beach. (For more information, see SaveSanOnofre.com).
We would also like you to contact Governor Schwarzenegger on this issue. Having the Governor's support is
an important step to preventing the toll road.
Brian Woodward discussing the toll-road issue. Link
(Thanks to Rob Rhyne of 70percent.org for his help with the meeting videos.)
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.Find out more
