State Parks Offers Dramatic New Vision for Oceano Dunes
Proposed plan would change off-road vehicle access on the dunes, develop Oso Flaco Lake area into campgrounds, cabins
A rider explores the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. (San Luis Obispo Tribune photo ) By Mackenzie Shuman for The San Luis Obispo Tribune
February 15, 2021
| 3:52 p.m.
Roughly 900 pages of documents released by California State Parks reveal the possible future of off-road riding and camping at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area and the neighboring Pismo State Beach.
The Draft Public Works Plan and resulting Draft Environmental Impact Report outline new development ideas, safety and infrastructure improvements and environmental damage mitigation efforts at the popular parks in southern San Luis Obispo County predicting what’s ahead for the area for the next 20 to 30 years if it’s approved by the California Coastal Commission.
Feb 8, 2021 5:02 PM DeLand, FL - At the upcoming Volusia County Council meeting, county leaders will be asked to weigh in on the use of electric bikes and scooters—or E-bikes —on county beaches. As it stands right now, Volusia County s code of ordinances prohibits the use of E-bikes on beaches, but a statute—known as the E-bike statute —passed during Florida s 2020 legislative session grants an E-bike user the same rights and duties applicable to a bicycle rider. Similar to the E-bike statute, state legislators also passed the Micromobility statute in 2019, which also states that a person operating a micromobility device, such as a miniature motorcycle or a motorized scooter, has all of the rights and duties applicable to the rider of a bicycle. As of 2021, there are no state laws that prohibit bicycles on beaches. However, in addition to state and local laws that already govern beaches, Volusia s beaches are also regulated by federal law pur
Gov. Brown outlines progress, goals of timber-conservation negotiations
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) Gov. Kate Brown kicked off the first in a series of negotiation sessions this month as part of a groundbreaking agreement between forestry representatives, conservation leaders and fishing organizations that aims to propose new protections for sensitive aquatic species on over 10 million acres of private forestland in Oregon, which could be formalized in a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan.
“In the past year –– despite the disruptions of a global pandemic and historic wildfire devastation which made face-to-face meetings very difficult –– this group has made steady progress in establishing common ground,” Brown said. “Together, we can build a future for Oregon with healthy forests, fish, and wildlife and economic growth for our forest industry and rural communities at the same time.”
The Division of Marine Fisheries amended its proposal to expand the seasonal lobster trap closure to all state waters after receiving dozens of comments denouncing certain aspects. The lobster fishing area to the south and west of Cape Cod, known as LCMA 2 or Area 2, is now exempted from the proposed closure, which should be good news for local lobstermen.
The amended proposal calls for a commercial trap gear closure from Feb. 1 to May 15 in all state waters north of the existing restricted area to the New Hampshire border. The proposed regulation is an effort to reduce the risk of North Atlantic right whale entanglements. The proposal also allows the division to lift the closure, or parts of it, in May based on presence or absence of right whales.
Jason Jones
SALT LAKE CITY A proposed 4.5-mile, four-lane highway on Washington County’s wish list for more than two decades received the green light Thursday from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
The decision granting the right of way application came after the federal agencies worked with the applicant and Washington County to consider ways to offset the Mojave desert tortoise habitat losses from any approved development in southern Utah.
“The service is proud to continue long-term partnerships with Washington County, the state of Utah, the local community and the BLM to conserve the threatened desert tortoise while also balancing the long-term needs of growing communities,” said the service’s director Aurelia Skipwith. “This (plan) advances conservation through these crucial partnerships, and we thank all those involved for their collaboration and input.”