Surfing Legends Make a Stand Against Route 241 - Feb. 2008

Surfing legends, Mickey Munoz and Shaun Tomson, were among the 3000+ in attendance for the public hearing regarding a proposed tollway project in California. The toll road extension, if approved, would cut through an Orange County habitat reserve and put the famed surfing hotspot, Trestles, in major jeopardy. According to www.savetrestles.org, a website set up to educate fellow surfers about the tragedy this toll road would bring to the surfing community, the Lower Trestles is one of the top surfing spots in the world, as voted by fellow surfers. Fortunately, the project failed with an 8-2 vote by the California Coastal Commission. Tollway officials are planning an immediate appeal with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to overthrow the commission’s ruling. Though the project could create 20,000 jobs, the question is, are those jobs worth the threat to the endangered species living within the habitat, the sacred American Indian grounds within San Onofre park, and the Lower Trestles? Apparently, enough people were in agreement that, no, they were not worth the irreplaceable loss at stake, in order to kill the project…for now. The intent to finish the final leg of Route 241 has been ongoing for years, and apparently will continue to be a threat. In the 36-year history of the commission, there has never been a turnout of this magnitude at any previous meeting. Obviously, that’s what happens when you manage to anger Native Americans, environmentalists, and the surfing community alike. With so much opposition, other options are going to have to be reconsidered.

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