Where’s the outrage over destruction in Oceano?

The public outrage over the destruction of oak woodland in the North County is justified.

I applaud and support the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County’s efforts to protect our land and wildlife. I wish I saw similar outrage over the destruction of the beach and dunes in Oceano at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational Area and a similar effort to protect this fragile, unique ecosystem.

Every year, millions of vehicles trample our beach, the Arroyo Grande Creek and the Dunes. The impact on the land, the wildlife and the Oceano beach community is just as disastrous as that of the oak deforestation. But nobody raises a voice of alarm or concern. Why not? Most people are under the false assumption that the off-road vehicles bring in money. To whom? Certainly not to the Oceano beach community that takes most of the impact.

Go see for yourself.

The money goes to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of State Parks to support its bureaucrats and the destructive behavior of a sector of our population.

A beach doesn’t need cars to bring in money. If the Dunes and beach were free of vehicles, they would bring in just as much as Pismo Beach because people love going to the beach for the sake of the beach.

Pismo got rid of its vehicles on the beach and it flourished. It’s time that Oceano does too.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 9:09 PM with the headline "Where’s the outrage over destruction in Oceano?."