Dear Coastwalk/CCTA Members and Coastal Trail Advocates,
The comment period for Hollister Ranch Coastal Access (HRCAP) on the Gaviota Coast is now open. YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED AND YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Please write the California Coastal Commission or offer personal comments at the online meeting on Thursday, October 14. (Please review the information on the next page on how to submit comments or speak at the hearing.)
It can be assumed that dozens of individuals from Hollister Ranch have registered to speak against opening public access to Hollister Ranch and the Gaviota Coast.
Coastwalk/CCTA and Coastal Advocates all agree that providing access to a trail through Hollister Ranch would further the Statewide vision of a continuous interconnected public trail system along the California Coast.
Coastwalk/CCTA and Coastal Advocates would also like to ensure that planning for a through trail supports safe pedestrian access AND is prioritized in the public access plan and that all solutions put forth reflect Californian’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gases and support efforts to lessen the impact of Climate Change.
As an individual your comments are an important part of the planning process, and it is critical that the California Coastal Commission receive input from the public in favor of opening public access of Hollister Ranch on the Gaviota Coast.
Actions you can take that will make a difference:
• Sign up to speak at the hearing on Thursday, October 14 at the California Coastal Commission’s online meeting
• Send an email with your comments
• Submit comments via U.S. mail
Please review the information on the next page on how to submit comments and participate in this very important process. Your input will make a difference.
Thank-you for supporting Coastwalk and the other environmental organizations who are members of the Gaviota Coastal Trail Alliance in their efforts to responsibly open this section of the Gaviota Coast to the public.
Sincerely,
Cea Higgins
Coastwalk Advocacy Coordinator
** Special thanks to Doug Kern, Executive Director of Gaviota Coastal Conservancy for this shared content.
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The DRAFT Hollister Ranch Coastal Access Program is now available. We are grateful to Senator Monique Limón for her courageous, strong leadership to bring us to this important moment. The California Coastal Commission needs to hear your voice on October 14, 2021, as it reviews the HRCAP. Your participation is urgently requested. The Commissioners need to hear from the public who have fought for fair and equitable coastal access at Hollister Ranch for 40 years!
Click on the link below download a copy of The Hollister Ranch Coastal Access Draft Here:
https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2021/10/Th4/Th4-10-2021report.pdf
Discussion Points
1. The Commission should expeditiously approve and implement the HRCAP. The DRAFT HRCAP phases in and limits access to prevent damage to natural and cultural resources, and provides details on how to manage equitable access and protect private property rights. The DRAFT HRCAP provides for a reasonable managed access pilot program, allowing up to 100 people a day to access up to six Ranch beaches by land and could be expanded subject to the protection of natural and cultural resources.
2. The Commission and State Agencies should open responsible access to Hollister Ranch promptly. Hollister Ranch owners have benefitted by developing their parcels over many decades with the condition that the Hollister Ranch Owners’ Association (HROA) provides public access through the Ranch to the public beach areas. However, the public has been prevented from safely exercising, without undue burdens, their constitutional right to access the public beach areas at Hollister Ranch for over 40 years.
3. The coastal trail is an important element of the HRCAP. Currently, the California Coastal Trail (CCT) is limited to only 5 miles on the beach between Gaviota State Park and Point Sal Beach State Park. A Coastal Trail through the 11 miles of Hollister Ranch coastline would further the Statewide vision of a continuous interconnected public trail system along the entire California Coast. Coastwalk/CCTA would like to ensure that a thru-trail that supports pedestrian access is prioritized in the initial phases and throughout the public access plan. Your comments are vital to making the Coastal Trail a reality at Hollister Ranch.
You can either speak at the hearing or submit written comments.
To speak during the Public Comment Period of the California Coastal Commission:
Speaker Instructions:
If you wish to speak to the Coastal Commission, you must fill out a speaker slip no later than 8:30 AM on Thursday, October 14 (speaker slips may be submitted the day before, which will streamline this process). We recommend signing up now for your opportunity to speak.
Please keep in mind that your time to speak will be limited, generally from 2 to 3 minutes, as determined by the Chair of the Coastal Commission. If you wish to show a 2-to-3 minute visual presentation that does not exceed 25 MB in size, it must be submitted by 5 PM Wednesday, October 13. Detailed instructions are located here:
https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/assets/virtual- hearing/FINAL_VIRTUAL%20_HEARING_PROCEDURES.pdf
Submit Written Comments:
To submit written materials, please email [email protected]
You can also submit materials by regular mail to the Coastal Commission at 725 Front Street, Suite 300, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. All mail received by 5 pm on Friday, October 8 will be distributed to the Commission. Any materials received after this time will be placed in the file but will not be distributed to the Commission.