"State Parks operates one of the most successful western snowy plover conservation programs on the West Coast at Oceano Dunes SVRA. This lawsuit does nothing to improve the program and will result in thousands of families losing their camping reservations and coastal recreational access, while cutting operational revenue that funds environmental conservation."
"For decades, state officials have let off-road vehicles tear through protected habitat at Oceano Dunes, injuring and killing snowy plovers, harassing roosting birds, and destroying nests."
Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area has suspended off-roading and camping due to a federal court ruling aimed at protecting the threatened western snowy plover. U.S. District Court Judge Anne Hwang mandated the closure until the California Department of Parks and Recreation obtains a permit for incidental take of the species. The ruling highlights violations of the Endangered Species Act by allowing harm to snowy plovers. Reactions to the closure are mixed, with State Parks expressing disagreement and conservation advocates celebrating the decision.
Read at SFGATE
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