Pismo Preserve closes again due to coronavirus restrictions
The Pismo Preserve has closed once again due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County announced the popular preserve near Pismo Beach and its hiking trails closed Friday at dusk “in response to recent statewide guidance and regional stay-at-home orders.”
“We know this decision will disappoint many, especially given our most recent post,” the nonprofit organization wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The Land Conservancy previously said it could be forced to close the Pismo Preserve after an exceptionally busy Thanksgiving holiday drew large crowds to the trails. Many people were in violation of social distancing standards during that holiday weekend, gathering in large groups, the group said.
The Land Conservancy additionally cited health concerns for its volunteers, who have had to engage with hikers in higher numbers as groups flock to the preserve.
“The huge increase in visitors over the last few weeks does put our staff at a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 — especially as cases have risen locally and tourism has increased,” the organization wrote on Facebook. “While we have a few volunteers who continue to help us steward the trails, we are not asking them to put themselves at risk by engaging in public outreach at this time.”
According to the post, monitoring capacity or limiting the number of hikers would require staffing that the Land Conservancy doesn’t have, so the park has to close fully for “at least the next three weeks.”
The Land Conservancy said it will re-evaluate the closure once the regional stay-at-home order has been lifted.
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