Pacifica, CA. Photo: Cristina Glebova//Unsplash
On May 11, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to approve a new set of rules for permitting surf camps and schools in Pacifica. The aim of the rules change is to address longstanding criticisms of inequity regarding the permitting process, and the means by which it led to the unintended exclusion of underrepresented groups at Linda Mar, one of the Bay Area’s more popular learner beaches. This change could have wider implications for the way that surf camp permitting is handled on beaches throughout California.
As The San Francisco Chronicle reports, “The new rules include five-year registrations for all groups with reduced fees for nonprofits; an expansion of the area where the groups operate; and equal number of participants allowed from each school; annual reports for the program; and a memorandum of understanding among the city and surf schools”
The origin of the dispute, as outlined in a Change.com petition, was that since 2004, the permitting system for surf schools in Pacifica only issued four operating permits for surf schools and camps operating at Linda Mar Beach. Furthermore, these permits had been owned by the same four commercial schools since then. The result was that non-profits aiming to increase beach access for low-income youths, women and communities of color, were effectively excluded.
In December of 2021, Adriana Dominique Guerrero, Executive Director of Brown Girl Surf, an Oakland based non-profit, sent a letter to the Pacifica city council outlining the inequities of the permitting program, and asking for them to take steps to make the beach more accessible and inclusive.
The city created a task force to consider and make recommendations regarding the Surf Camp/School Policy. However, the recommendations of the task force turned out to be very similar to the previous policy, and in some ways actually made acquiring a permit more difficult for non-profits. As a result, the California Coastal Commission stepped in and required Pacifica to submit a coastal development permit application that would outline a new plan. The result was a revised program that, according to the CDP application, “truly does accommodate access for all group types equitably, and all parties are essentially in agreement on the revised parameters.”
The decision could also have wider implications for addressing inequity at other California beaches. “The commission also indicated that the issue of equitable beach access was likely not limited to Pacifica, and could prompt it to create statewide guidelines for surf schools,” noted the Chronicle.
“This is a historical moment for our organization and our community, and is something we’ve been waiting for for a long time,” said Adrianna Guerrero Nardone, “The decision is validating and affirming that we belong, that we’ve always belonged.”
