Even if the county doesn't sell almost 600 acres it owns in the Oceano Dunes to the California Department of Parks and Recreation and its operating lease for the land expires next June, the popular off-road park won't close.

However, the riding area of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area would likely become much smaller and off-road vehicle use would be curtailed.

And the park's impact to the local economy would also take a big hit if the county doesn't sell the land, according to a state official.

“The beach would still be accessible (if the sale doesn't happen),” Andy Zilke, Oceano Dunes SVRA superintendent, said at last week's tri-chamber luncheon, where the guest speaker Jim Suty also gave a presentation on the proposed sale.

“The worst scenario would be that the county would fence the area off.”

If the county chooses to not sell the 584-acre La Grande Tract, which is located inside the five-mile riding area of the Oceano Dunes, and were to fence off the area, Zilke said, the riding area would be impacted.

“We'd have to reduce the number of people allowed in the park ... and probably couldn't sustain off-highway vehicle (use) because riders wouldn't be able to get into the back dune area,” Zilke added.

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State Parks only permits a maximum of 1,000 camping spaces in the off-road park, with one of the biggest weekends being the Fourth of July holiday, when the park sees between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors over four days.

The county has leased the La Grande Tract to State Parks since 1982. The 25-year lease expires June 16, 2008, and the state agency has offered the county $4.8 million for the property.

Suty, a San Jose resident and president of Friends of the Oceano Dunes, told the luncheon audience that if the county doesn't sell the land to State Parks, the off-road park would close.

“If this (land) isn't sold or is no longer useable, the park can close,” Suty said. “Half of the beach would be lost during the busiest summer months - March to September.”

State Parks employs 140 people to operate and maintain Oceano Dunes SVRA. The employees all live locally - within the county - and contribute to the local economy, according to Zilke.

“We are partners and neighbors in this local community,” Zilke said. “I consider us to be a neighbor and a listening ear. The voice of the community is definitely heard.”

It's estimated, conservatively, according to Suty, that the off-road park and its 2 million annual visitors generate more than $200 million for the local economy, which would be affected if the park's size shrinks.

“There will be an impact (if the sale doesn't happen),” Suty said. “All those funds will go away. This threat is very, very real.”

The $200-million estimate is based on information from a 1993 State Parks-developed economic impact study on the area that claims the average visitor to the off-road park spends $72 a day while here.

State Parks is currently developing an updated economic impact study for the area and off-road park that's expected to be released this summer, Zilke said.

Although the off-roading community supports the sale of the land to State Parks to preserve the off-road park as it's now operated, many area residents don't support the sale because they feel local control of the area would be lost.

During a recent town hall meeting on the proposed sale, longtime county residents like Nipomo's Mike Winn urged 4th District Supervisor Katcho Achadjian to not support the sale and instead offer State Parks a short-term lease, with a sunset clause.

“I don't see any benefit of transferring control from the Board of Supervisors to Sacramento,” Winn said during the meeting. “They won't listen to us as well.”

Zilke said, in his opinion, local control of the Oceano Dunes wouldn't be lost if the county were to sell its land in the off-road area to State Parks.

State Parks approached the county last year about buying the property because the agency was told by county staff that the supervisors were more interested in selling than renewing the lease, according to Zilke.

“We are open to any possible option that would allow us to continue operating out there,” Zilke said.

The Oceano Dunes off-road park is the only place in the state where vehicles can legally be driven on the beach.

April Charlton can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5016, or acharlton@santamariatimes.com.

March 24, 2007