Place is iconic. Photo: Aubrey Lao
With only 24 hours to spare, California State Parks and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton finalized a new lease agreement for San Onofre State Beach. As Fox 5 San Diego reports, the Navy, federal government and State of California agreed to a 25-year lease at a cost of approximately $3-million a year.
San Onofre is part of Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base owned by the U.S. Navy. In 1971, the land was leased to the California Department of Parks and Recreation for $1 as part of President Richard Nixon’s Legacy of Parks program. The original 50-year lease expired in 2021, but was subsequently given a three-year extension through Aug. 31, 2024.
As the new deadline rapidly approached, the fate of the beloved surf beach became increasingly uncertain. With the Navy reportedly asking for significantly more money than the original deal, many worried that the land might go back to the military. “Despite commitments from California State Parks and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to maintain public access at San Onofre, anxiety within local coastal communities about the lease negotiations and its potential to impact access, at least temporarily, has been steadily and palpably growing,” wrote Surfrider.
However, this latest announcement means San O is safe, at least for another few decades. “California just signed a new deal with our federal partners to keep San Onofre open as a state park for another 25 years,” wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday night. “San Onofre’s beaches, hiking and biking trails, and campgrounds will continue to welcome visitors for years to come.”
