The biggest news surrounding one of California’s most popular surf beaches lately has been the wild erosion of an access road due to a late-winter storm. A month ago, locals talked about feeling like they’d lost a member of the family when news spread of the damage at San Onofre but things took a positive turn when construction to repair it all began this week and California State Parks officials announced full access would be restored by April. That access road saga forced another story to take a backseat: the expiring lease agreement between the state and the United States Military.
Governor Ronald Reagan helped establish the area as a California State Park in 1971. The U.S. Military maintained ownership at the time (and still does), establishing a lease agreement between the two entities that cost the state just $1 per year. That initial 50-year agreement expired on August 31, 2021, at which point a temporary extension was put in place “allowing time for the required real estate surveys to be completed in preparation for the execution of a new lease.” That extension is facing a new deadline on August 31, 2024.
The agreement will determine who has stewardship of San Onofre Beach — State Parks or the United States Military. If a deal is struck then the state will resume maintaining the area for public access. If not, the United States Military will take over that responsibility. And that begs the obvious question from surfers: how will it impact access? San Onofre Park Foundation’s Steve Long told FOX 5 news fears of restricted access are easing even though an agreement is still up in the air. Public access will remain with or without a new agreement.
“Some part of the park could be closed. And that still is a small concern,” Long admits.
First Lt. Taylor M. Dorsey, a communications representative for Camp Pendleton, however, assured Voice of San Diego that“Camp Pendleton is dedicated to minimizing any impact to the public and will ensure that patrons retain uninterrupted access to the park regardless of lease renewal agreements.”
Details of the negotiation are scarce now but evaluations of the 6.5-miles of coastline are valued in the millions. Long reportedly told Voice of San Diego that the military’s asking price matches that evaluation, making the state’s sweetheart deal of paying just $1 per year most likely a thing of the past.
