Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes

View of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes from Oceano State Vehicular Recreation Area

Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes is the largest remaining dune system south of San Francisco and the second largest in the U.S. state of California.^[1][2] It encompasses an 18-mile (29 km) stretch of coastline on the Central Coast of California and extends from southern San Luis Obispo County to northern Santa Barbara County.^[3]

The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Complex is home to a unique dunes ecosystem as well as many endangered and threatened species of plants and animals. To protect the dunes environment, much of the Complex has been set aside for conservation. In addition, it is recognized as a National Natural Landmark.^[4]

Another portion of the Dunes is utilized for recreation, such as camping and Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) use. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes is owned and managed by a collaboration of both private and public parties, including the counties of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, the California State Parks, the Nature Conservancy, the Dunes Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Natural Lands Management, and the Land Conservancy.^[5]

Attractions

Within the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Complex are several distinct regions, each managed by different organizations and used for various purposes.

Pismo State Beach-North Beach Campgrounds is located at the northernmost part of the Dunes and is run by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. While visiting the North Beach Campground, guests can enjoy family camping, surfing, swimming, surf fishing, and hiking.^[6]

View of Pismo Beach from Oceano State Vehicular Recreation Area

Pismo State Beach-Oceano Campgrounds is located further south than the North Beach Campgrounds, near the town of Oceano. The Oceano Campgrounds, like the North Beach Campgrounds, is run by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and also has a nature museum on site.^[6]

Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is located south of Oceano. It consists of five and half miles of beach open for vehicle use and a large area of the sand dunes open for off-highway vehicle use, including quads, dirt-bikes, and four-wheel drive vehicles. It is the only state park in California where vehicles can be driven on the beach. Each year the park attracts 2 million visitors. The park also offers guests the ability to camp on the beach itself. Other activities available at the park are horseback riding and bird watching.^[7]

The Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is a California State Park located north of the city of Guadalupe. Visitors to the Natural Area can walk along the mile-long boardwalk that follows the creek, passing across Oso Flaco Lake, to the ocean.

The Dunes Center is an agency developed to promote the conservation of the Dunes ecosystem through education, research and cooperative stewardship. It receives funding from both private and public sources. The actual Dunes Center is located in the city of Guadalupe, in a restored 1910 craftsman bungalow.^[8]

The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge is located in the midsection of the Dunes Complex and can be accessed through the Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area to the north or the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park to the South. The Refuge was established in August 2001 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the breeding habitats of the threatened California red-legged frog, the western snowy plover, and the endangered California least tern.^[3]

Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park is located at the southern end of the dunes and is owned by the Santa Barbara County Parks and leased to the Center for Natural Lands Management. In comparison to other areas of the Dunes, Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park is the least damaged by ORV use and introduced invasive plant species. It also has the strongest California least tern and snowy plover nesting areas. For visitors, the Park offers surfing, fishing, and hiking.^[5]

History

The first inhabitants of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes were Native Americans of the Chumash tribe, whose settlements were noticed by early Spanish maritime explorers. However, Europeans did not travel through the Dunes themselves until Monday, September 4, 1769.^[9] These explorers were members of Don Gaspar de Portola’s overland expedition. While staying in the Dunes, the explorers shot a skinny bear by the shores of what is now called Oso Flaco Lake. After eating the bear, two of the explorers became sick. The skinny bear had been poisoned by the Chumash who, as a means of protection, often incapacitated dangerous wildlife by feeding them tainted meat.^[10] This incident resulted in the lake’s name: Oso Flaco or "Skinny Bear."

In 1923, the epic movie The Ten Commandments directed by Cecil B. DeMille, was filmed on the Dunes. At the end of production, the massive sets reproducing ancient Egypt were dismantled and buried on the site to prevent reuse. They are still buried there today, and have been the target of various schemes for excavation for decades. Some artifacts have been recovered and are on display at The Dunes Visitor's Center, while others may be seen from time to time as the dunes shift.^[11][12]

From the 1920s until the 1940s, a group of mystics, nudists, artists, writers, and hermits known as the “Dunites” inhabited the Dunes. They believed that the Dunes were a center of creative energy and even published a magazine called “The Dune Forum.”^[9] At the same time, oil companies were buying up Dune land and in 1948, oil was discovered in the Dunes.^[13] Unocal, an oil company, began operating the Guadalupe Oil Field in the 1950s.^[14] Over the course of the next forty years, Unocal leaked 18 million gallons of petroleum under the Dunes.^[14][15] In 1994, the company publicly recognized the spill and began cleaning up the 2,700-acre (11 km²) site, which is located in San Luis Obispo County immediately north of the Santa Barbara County line.^[14]

Starting in the 1970s, measures were taken to protect the natural environment at the Dunes. One of the biggest changes was the restriction of ORVs to the designated Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.^[13] This allowed for the other areas of the Dunes to undergo restoration efforts by conservation groups. The process of dune restoration continues into the present.

Geography and environment

The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes were formed by a combination of factors including beach sand which was blown inland by the wind and the Santa Maria River which brought sediment to the coast. Dune-building began 18,000 years ago with the Nipomo and Orcutt Mesas.^[16] This Dune System has the highest dunes on the entire western coastline of the United States. Among these, Mussel Rock Dune is the highest, measuring approximately 500 feet (150 m).^[16] Another rare geographic treasure is Oso Flaco Lake, a freshwater lake located amid the Dunes.^[17]

Even though the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes consist of moving sand with extremely low moisture that is seemingly deprived of nutrients, it is home to a variety of flora and fauna. There are at least 18 endangered species of plants living in the Dunes.^[16]

The Dunes are separated into uplands and wetlands habitats. Uplands include the fore dunes, back dunes, and sandy beaches. The fore dunes begin at the high tide line, where only low growing plants with deep root systems (such as sand verbena) can live. The strong winds, salt spray, and massive amounts of sand make this area uninhabitable for other types of plants. The back dunes, just behind the fore dunes, are stabilized and covered with plants.^[16] The back dunes are dominated by shrub species like mock heather, dune lupine, coastal buckwheat, and blochman’s senecio. The sandy beaches are a harsh environment with no plants able to survive there. The wetlands include the areas that contain water: salt marshes, fresh and brackish-water marshes, swamps, and mudflats. Plants that live there are adapted to dynamic environmental conditions including high salinity concentration and extreme temperatures.^[18]

Weeds have been introduced into the Dunes environment both purposefully and accidentally and threaten the native plant life. Various native plants are being choked out by invasive species like European beach grass.^[19]

Many species of animals can be found among the Dunes. Over 200 species of birds live there, such as the western snowy plover, American peregrine falcon, California brown pelican, and California least tern. Other animals also depend on the dunes such as the california red-legged frog, coast garter snake, deer, black bear, bobcats, and mountain lions. Beetles, butterflies, lizards, saltwater and freshwater fish inhabit the dunes as well.^[19]

Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA)

The Oceano Dunes is the most popular off-road park in the state because it is the only area in California where people can legally drive on the beach.^[20] The Oceano Dunes camping and recreational facility has been a favored site for more than 100 years.^[20] Also, with 2 million visitors a year, the county earns an extra 150 million dollars in revenue from tourism.^[21]

The Oceano State Vehicular Recreation Area has taken measures to protect the snowy plover by blocking off specific areas from vehicles and creating rules for visitors to protect the birds. Some rules are: adhere to the 15 mph (24 km/h) speed limit, do not enter the enclosed areas, keep dogs on a leash at all times, and rid the beach of trash that could attract snowy plover predators.^[22] Also, during the busy holidays, extra rangers come into the park to guarantee that the rules are enforced.

Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus)

From educational programs to environmental restoration projects, California Department of Parks and Recreation and organizations such as the Sierra Club, the Dunes Center,^[23] and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service work to protect the environment. These groups often utilize community meetings to address the issues of conservation, protection and restoration of our environment.

The concern felt by the Sierra Club's Santa Lucia Chapter lies in the management of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.^[24] Off-road vehicle use partially conflicts with habitat of the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and it is alleged that this directly correlates with a decrease in reproductive success. However, Western Snowy Plover nests have increased dramatically from 16 nests in 1993^[25] to a total of 155 nests in 2010.^[26] An 8-year summary of Western Snowy Plover reproduction on California State Park lands depicts the breeding success at Oceano Dunes which is particularly stark compared to very low breeding numbers elsewhere in the state.^[27] The Western Snowy Plover was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on March 5, 1993.^[28]

Year	Nests found
2002	35
2003	95
2004	147
2005	107
2006	117
2007	99
2008	121
2009	150
2010	155

Year	Nests found
1993	16
1994	31
1995	31
1996	32
1997	30
1998	42
1999	13
2000	15
2001	33

Ecologists argue that the snowy plover does not just breed on any coastal area; they seek protection in the dunes. Scientist Tom Jordan studied data on bird nesting sites and found that snowy plovers “prefer the beach and the flatter areas,” such as on top of the dunes, where they can watch for predators.^[29] Plovers rely heavily on the safety of the dunes, which vehicle usage compromises.

Increasing traffic on the dunes escalates the problem, especially during the holidays. Memorial day weekend is one of the Park's busiest, and coincides with the snowy plover’s peak breeding season.^[30] The threatened snowy plover is small in size and with the extra commotion is easily run over.

The Sierra Club's long-term goal is to see the plovers taken off of the endangered species list. To accomplish this, they proposed year-round fencing to protect plover habitat, but the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area rejected the idea.^[24] Soon after the decision, a plover was killed by an off-road vehicle in a recommended area for fencing. The Sierra Club sued the State Parks for violating the ESA by not providing enough protection for the snowy plover, as well as the California least tern and steelhead trout.^[30]

In the case's settlement, the State Park was given the responsibility of researching, fund raising, and establishing an education program about the snowy plover. The Parks must close off an additional half-mile of the beach between March and October, the plover's breeding season.^[30] Additionally, they must find alternate routes to avoid vehicles crossing the Arroyo Grande Creek because it is inhabited by the steelhead trout.

Ownership

For 25 years the County of San Luis Obispo has leased 584 acres (2.36 km²) of the Dunes to the State Department of Parks and Recreation, free of charge.^[20] With the lease expiring in June 2008,^[31] the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has a few options, including sale of the land, renewal of the deal with the state, or creation of a deal requiring the state to pay rent. To determine whether or not to sell the dune property to the state, two public hearings were held April 17, 2007.^[32] To sell the property, four-fifths of the supervisors must vote in favor of it but in order to renew the lease or simply not sell the proposed land, a majority of only three votes is needed.^[32]

The State Parks offered to pay $4.86 million dollars for nearly 600 acres (2.4 km²) of beachfront property that is directly in the middle of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation area.^[31]

Various groups and individuals would like to see the land sold to the State Parks. Currently, the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area uses one third of the beach territory for off-road vehicles use.^[33] Off-roaders are concerned that since the decision is in the hands of the county, San Luis Obispo County's environmental community may advise more restrictions on the land if it isn't sold. Land available for vehicle use has already been reduced from 15,000 acres (61 km²) to 1,500 acres (6.1 km²).^[33] The State wants to buy the land in order to secure a place for off-road vehicles for the future. They claim that not all the land in their possession would be used for off-road vehicles and camping, and that part of the land would be set aside as preserve areas, as the County wants.

On Tuesday April 17, 2007, the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 not to sell the 584 acres (2.36 km²) of land to the State.^[33]

Notes

1. ^ "Preserve-Rancho Guadalupe Dunes". http://www.cnlm.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=97. Retrieved 2007-05-01. 
2. ^ "The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes: A Haven for Wildlife and a Destination for People". http://www.dunescollaborative.org/. Retrieved 2007-05-01. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge". Archived from the original on November 30, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061130173044/http://www.fws.gov/hoppermountain/Guadalupe/. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
4. ^ "South County Area Conservation Projects". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070930161440/http://www.special-places.org/ecm/Land_Conservation/Projects_south_county.html#. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Preserve-Rancho Guadalupe Dunes". http://www.cnlm.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=97. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "California State Parks". The Dunes Collaborative. http://www.dunescollaborative.org/. Retrieved 2007-05-01. 
7. ^ "Adventure No.101 Oceano Dunes SVRA State Vehicular Recreation Area". http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=406. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
8. ^ "About us". Archived from the original on April 6, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070406225617/http://www.dunescenter.org/about.htm. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Areas". http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
10. ^ "On the Trail - Oso Flaco Lake". Archived from the original on May 19, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060519035039/http://www.dunescenter.org/ottoso.htm. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
11. ^ "Ten Commandments Archaeological Site". http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA4973/. Retrieved May 17, 2007. 
12. ^ [e-mail] http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-trw-sbcounty31-2010jan27,0,6039620.story
13. ^ ^{a b} "CONSERVATION CHRONOLOGY OF NIPOMO DUNES COMPLEX". Archived from the original on February 19, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070219005012/http://www.fws.gov/hoppermountain/Guadalupe/history.html. Retrieved May 1, 2007. 
14. ^ ^{a b c} Leavenworth, Stuart (April 27, 2003). "Dunes' spills still focus of cleanup". Sacramento Bee. http://www.sacbee.com/static/live/news/projects/denial/text_c1_s1.html. Retrieved May 4, 2007. 
15. ^ Silent Spill: The Organization of Industrial Crisis, Beamish, Thomas D. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002
16. ^ ^{a b c d} "Geography of the Dunes". http://santalucia.sierraclub.org/osoflaco.html#geology. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
17. ^ "Legacy Project: Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes". http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/preserves/art6330.html. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
18. ^ "Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Interpretive Master Plan" (PDF). http://www.dunescollaborative.org/imp01.pdf. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
19. ^ ^{a b} "Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge". Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061116010952/http://www.fws.gov/hoppermountain/Guadalupe/wildlife.html. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
20. ^ ^{a b c} Chawkins, Steve (2007-04-17). "Oceano Dunes' unhappy campers". LA Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-oceano15apr15,1,5232921,full.story?coll=la-news-environment&ctrack=1&cset=true. Retrieved 2007-04-29. ^{[dead link]}
21. ^ unknown (2007-04-15). "County should keep its part of Dunes". The San Luis Obispo Tribune. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:XGKnS6120GwJ:www.sanluisobispo.com/181/story/17107.html+2+million+visitors+a+year+oceano+dunes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
22. ^ Rosato, Joe (2003-05-22). "Protection of Snowy Plover at Oceano Dunes Remains A Top Priority for State Parks". The Santa Maria Times. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:hb-e4c9T9mQJ:www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/052203.pdf+why+ban+off-road+vehicles+on+oceano+dunes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us. Retrieved 2007-04-26. 
23. ^ "Dunes Center". http://www.dunescenter.org/. Retrieved 2007-04-24. 
24. ^ ^{a b} Sierra Club (2004-05-07). "Preserve the Oceano Dunes!". The Sierra Club, Santa Lucia Chapter. http://santalucia.sierraclub.org/oceano/oceano.html. Retrieved 2007-04-24. 
25. ^ [|California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division, Oceano Dunes District] (November 2005), Nesting of the California Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, San Luis Obispo County, California, 2005 Season, pp. 29 
26. ^ [|California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division, Oceano Dunes District] (November 2010), Nesting of the California Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, San Luis Obispo County, California, 2010 Season, pp. 25 
27. ^ California Department of Parks and Recreation (12 April 2010). "Western Snowy Plover 8-year Reproductive Summary on California State Park Lands" (PDF). Western Snowy Plover Species Profile. Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/birds/WSP/documents/siteReports/California/CAStateParks/2009_%20CA_State_Park_Annual_Nest_Success_Chart.pdf. Retrieved 28 December 2010. 
28. ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Western Snowy Plover Species Profile". Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office. http://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/birds/WSP/plover.html. Retrieved 28 December 2010. "the Pacific Coast population of the western snowy plover is federally listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as threatened" 
29. ^ Laurenzano, Heidi (2001-11-15). "Snowy Plovers'new digs". The Santa Maria Times. http://www.guaddunes.com/PDFs/News%20Stories/08-Snowy%20Plovers%27new%20digs.pdf. Retrieved 2007-05-26. 
30. ^ ^{a b c} Sneed, David (2004-12-14). "Access fight far from over - Oceano Dunes". The San Luis Tribune. http://beta.sandmountain.ods.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=161. Retrieved 2007-04-26. 
31. ^ ^{a b} Cuddy, Bob (2007-04-15). "Decision Day for Dunes". Friends of Oceano Dunes. http://www.oceanodunes.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=7259. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
32. ^ ^{a b} Charlton, April (2006-04-16). "A look at issues targeting sale of the Oceano Dunes". The Lompoc Record. http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2007/04/16/news/news02.txt. Retrieved 2007-04-25. 
33. ^ ^{a b c} "SLO supervisors will privately decide fate of Oceano Dunes land". examiner.com. 2007-04-18. http://www.examiner.com/a-680677~SLO_supervisors_will_privately_decide_fate_of_Oceano_Dunes_land.html. Retrieved 2007-04-26. ^{[dead link]}

Coordinates: 34°58′01″N 120°39′00″W / 34.967°N 120.65°W / 34.967; -120.65