Time to Pass the Torch

Greetings Surfriders,

For the last nine years I have been privileged to lead the Restore Sloat Campaign for the Surfrider Foundation’s San Francisco Chapter.

It’s time to pass the torch.

First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you who has helped this campaign in any way – from signing our petitions to attending public meetings to spreading the word about our efforts. I also want to give a shout out to those who just pick up trash when they go to the beach.  You all are helping to defend and restore Ocean Beach.

We have achieved a lot since the 2010 El Niño. At that point, SFDPW was ready to bury the entire Sloat shoreline under a pile of quarry stone boulders. We fought that misguided plan at the Coastal Commission and won. 

In the ensuing years we worked with our government agencies and the community to help shape a new erosion policy for Sloat – one that will lead to the restoration of our beach.  

There is much to be proud of.  Again, thank you all.

At the same time, our work is unfinished.

Key items we have left to secure include: 

1: A new parking lot replace the main / north parking access

2: Phase II project details which maximize the area of shoreline restoration (especially the removal of all rock and rubble from the beach and artificial bluff)

3: An ironclad commitment to replenish the beach in the wake of major erosion events

Once again, thanks for your continued engagement through this very long process. The finish line is finally coming into our sights. 

Let’s see this thing through to the end.  

Sincerely yours,

Bill McLaughlin

Phase One of Managed Retreat Project Clears SF Planning

King Tides on 12-23-18 occurred under mild weather and wave conditions. 

Luckily they did not coincide with some of the potent winter storms we have experienced since mid-January or erosion of the sand backless work would have been extremely severe.

Greetings Surfriders,

We recently learned that the road consolidation and realignment project has been approved for CEQA processing at SF Planning.  An article appeared in a recent issue of SF Weekly. This is good news as the phase one project of managed retreat has been delayed now for nearly two years.  The bad news is that there is no funding currently available.  We will certainly be following up on the funding issue.

In the mean time, your comment letters on behalf of this issue are still welcome!  If you haven't written a letter yet, please do so now! The key decision-makers over the erosion site need to hear how important beach parking is at Sloat - both in the Phase and the Phase Two managed retreat projects.

Here is a sample letter:

To: David.Froehlich@sfdpw.org
cc: NorthCentralCoast@coastal.ca.gov, aaron.peskin@sfgov.org, phil.ginsburg@sfgov.org, bgrant@spur.org, brian_aviles@nps.gov, gordon.mar@sfgov.org

Dear Decision-makers of the Sloat erosion site,

My name is _______________ and I __________ (surf, hike, fish, enjoy, etc) Ocean Beach.  While I support the restoration plan for the erosion site south of Sloat, the upcoming road realignment work should include additional beach access parking using the abandoned lanes until a new long-term parking lot can be built.

Parking access south of Sloat is critical for beach access. Originally, our two parking lots provided 200 spaces.  Currently, the south parking access has been completely lost to erosion while the north lot has only 29 parking spaces left. This is inadequate. We need parking addressed at Sloat both for the Phase One and Phase Two Ocean Beach Master Plan projects.

Thank you.  _____________

(your name, address)

Thanks always for your engagement!

King Tides and Future Shoreline Boundaries

Most of Pacifica’s beaches are already on life support. 

Over a foot of sea level rise will probably drown whatever is left of this once sandy shoreline.

Greetings Surfriders,

There was is another king tide on Monday January 21st Martin Luther King Day. We have a 7.1ft high tide at 10:53am (GG Bridge gauge) / apprx. 10:33am at Ocean Beach. This will be our largest high tide of the year.

King Tides are significant because they give us a glimpse into the future of sea level rise and what will our shoreline boundaries may look like.

How does this work? Currently, the average large high tide (what NOAA calls the mean higher high tide) is 5.84 ft. for the Golden Gate / SF Bay entrance tide gauge. https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/datums.html?id=9414290

Monday’s 7.1ft king tide will therefore be 1.26ft or about 15” above our average large high tide. By 2050, the state of California projects there to be 16” of sea level rise. So Monday’s king tide will be close to the predicted new sea level rise average large high tide for 2050.

You can help us spread awareness of the impact of sea level rise on our beaches. Just take some photos of your favorite stretch of shoreline around 10:30am (again the tides arrive :20 mins earler on the beach compared to the Golden Gate).  Then, send the pics in to the Ca King Tides Project and share them with your friends on social media. Please be sure to copy a link to our sea level rise planning petition! https://secured.surfrider.org/action/engagement?actionId=AR0024609&id=701i00000018YoU

 Thanks.

Ca King Tides Project website:

https://www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/

2018 Year End Wrap Up

Season's Greetings Surfriders,

Thanks to all who have helped in the effort to restore and preserve Ocean Beach this year. Here's a short highlight list of the 2018 campaign:

1. Secured the passage of the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) amendment.

The amendment we helped shape is a zoning regulation which now allows for beach restoration at Sloat through managed retreat. We submitted written and oral comments every step of the way on the LCP.  

2. Mounted a principled opposition to the Westside Pumpstation Upgrade.

The Pumpstation upgrade will improve our water quality, but will probably need to be protected by armoring at some future point.  We opposed the permit on this ground and the fact that the permit did not include an alternatives analysis containing a landward configuration option for the project.  Although we lost this fight, Surfrider needed to make a point that all new development along Ocean Beach should be planned in such a way as to avoid exposure to erosion.

3. Launched a campaign to include new parking in the upcoming road project.

Over the years, the beach community has lost most of our coastal access parking south of Sloat. A road relocation/consolidation project is coming up soon, and Surfrider is mounting a campaign to ensure parking is included in the plans. It's not too late to help.  Just write a letter - instruction are on the December 5th post below.

Thanks again to all.  Enjoy the holiday surf!

Beach Access Parking Comments Still Needed!

This graphic (posted on the restrooms at Sloat) shows what we were expecting from the Phase 1 project.

Greetings Surfriders,

The fight to ensure parking improvements for south Ocean Beach is on.  At last month's Coastal Commission hearing at Fisherman's Wharf, we testified for the need for parking improvements at Sloat and the need for their inclusion in the upcoming road re-alignment project.

Surfrider contends that our request for parking improvements is only fair as we have been told for several years now that new parking for beach access was to be included in this project.  The Phase One plan was to accomplish this by repurposing the abandoned southbound lanes.  A graphic of this proposal can be found posted on the walls of the Sloat restroom. See text in picture - "parking in abandoned lanes".

To help us in this effort, please send a letter to the SF Department of Public Works, the agency in charge of executing the road project.  However, definitely CC (carbon copy) to the North Central District office of the Coastal Commission, Supervisor Katy Tang, Supervisor Peskin, SF Rec. and Park Director Phillip Ginsburg, Benjamin Grant at SPUR and Brian Aviles at the National Parks Service. These are key entities that will be deciding the fate of beach access parking for the Sloat area.

Here is a sample text.  Feel free to copy and paste:

To: David.Froehlich@sfdpw.org
cc: katy.tang@sfgov.org, NorthCentralCoast@coastal.ca.gov, aaron.peskin@sfgov.org, phil.ginsburg@sfgov.org, bgrant@spur.org, brian_aviles@nps.gov

Dear Decision-makers of the Sloat erosion site,

My name is _______________ and I __________ (surf, hike, fish, enjoy, etc) Ocean Beach.  While I support the restoration plan for the erosion site south of Sloat, the upcoming road realignment work should include additional beach access parking using the abandoned lanes until a new long-term parking lot can be built.

Parking access south of Sloat is critical for beach access. Originally, our two parking lots provided 200 spaces.  Currently, the south parking access has been completely lost to erosion while the north lot has only 29 parking spaces left. This is inadequate. We need immediate parking relief in the upcoming road realignment project. 

Thank you.  _____________

(your name, address)

------

Thanks again for your help!

Beach Parking Needed ASAP! Coastal Commission Hearing Coming to SF

With the installment of concrete barriers, we need beach access parking asap for South of Sloat. 

Greetings Surfriders,

Surfrider is asking for our activists to help advocate for immediate beach access parking for the erosion site.  The City has put up new concrete guard rails to prevent people from parking along the bluff without building an additional alternative parking arrangement. This is unacceptable.

Fortunately, there is a great opportunity to weigh in on this. The California Coastal Commission is holding their November 2018 hearing in San Francisco.  Come join us in advocating for immediate parking relief for Sloat.

Here's the details:

Ca Coastal Commission Hearing

November 7-9 Aquarium of the Bay San Francisco - Farallon Room

Pier 39 Embarcadero and Beach Street 

8-5pm

Our region is the North Central Coast District. The Commission agenda for our region will be heard on Thursday November 8th.  The agenda item is #19 the Deputy Director's Report.

Please show up at around 8am to fill out a comment card if you would like to speak.  Not able to make it?

Send an email to: NorthCentralCoast@coastal.ca.gov 

Subject Line: Agenda#19 Deputy Director's Report

Below is a sample letter.  Feel free to cut and paste and/or add your own take on the matter.

----

My name is.. _______________ and I __________ (surf, hike, fish, enjoy, etc) Ocean Beach.  While I support the restoration plan for the erosion site south of Sloat, the initial phase of road realignment should be accompanied by parking upgrades. 

Parking access south of Sloat is critical for beach access. Originally, our two parking lots provided 200 spaces.  Currently, the south parking access has been completely lost to erosion while the north lot has only 29 parking spaces left. This is inadequate. We need immediate parking relief in the upcoming road realignment project as well as a quality long-term replacement for the main parking lot.

Thank you.  _____________

(your name, address)

------

Thanks for your help!

Sea Level Rise Set to Impact the Wildlife of California's Beaches

Without room for beaches to migrate landward, shorebirds will lose habitat.

Greetings Surfriders,

This year, a joint study was released by the Nature Conservancy and the Ca Coastal Conservancy concerning the impacts of sea level rise to the California coast.  The news is not good for our beach ecosystems.

The report Conserving California's Coastal Habitats: A Legacy and a Future with Sea Level Rise predicts that even five feet of sea level rise will threaten 60% of the state's upper beach habitats. (The report defines the upper beach area as the portion of sand from the average high tide line to the dunes, bluffs and other habitats).

For us locally, this spells a major threat to our seabirds. From sand pipers to snowy plovers, sea level rise and enhanced erosion could lead to a submerged shoreline. Without managed retreat, much of San Francisco and Pacifica's shoreline could be permanently submerged. Many seabirds need sandy beaches to feed, rest or breed.

The Nature Conservancy assessment does have a positive message. The report states that if we act now, we can avoid and/or mitigate much of the damage. Managed retreat and shoreline restoration projects are singled out in the report as having a critical role.

Surfrider urges you to get involved to ensure we meet this challenge.  Stay tuned for the next public hearing for Sloat which should happen later this fall. Shoot us an email at erosionob@gmail.com or follow this blog if you want to be directly notified of such events.

If you are a resident of Pacifica, please comment on the draft LCP sea level rise adaptation plan.  Send comments to sealevelrise@ci.pacifica.ca.us or to Bonny O'Connor, Planning Department, 170 Santa Maria Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044 by 5pm Monday October 8th.  We need folks to continue to stand up for beach restoration and managed retreat of development.

Thanks for checking in.