TAKING A TOLL ON TRESTLES
Will Lowers get paved by new 241 extension toll road?

http://www.savetrestles.org

The future of Trestles grows increasingly uncertain. The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) -- a privately held agency -- has been aiming to build an extension to the existing 241 Toll Road for nearly ten years now. Plans would connect the expansion with Interstate 5 at Basilone Rd, just south of Trestles Beach. Environmental activists and concerned surfers have recently begun doing all they can to throw a wrench in TCA's plans.

With the looming threat of the proposed Toll Road tearing through the precious San Mateo Creek, the TCA released the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) last Wednesday. EIRs are required by law for any planned development and serve to gauge the ecological impact that may result from construction. First draft EIRs are drawn up by the developers' environmental consulting firms and then released to the public for comments.

Numerous organizations' and activists' views were addressed in last week's final EIR that plainly stated, "There will be no effect in sediment movement, and thus no effect on the breaks in any way due to the Foothill-South project. The Foothill-South project will not change the quality of the surf at Trestles"

"Our goal has always been to find a solution that balances the critical need to improve mobility, while preserving our natural environment and reducing impacts to our communities," said Ken Ryan (taken from www.thetollroads.com), Chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency.

The Surfrider Foundation, and other groups, such as the Sierra Club and Wildcoast disagree. "Everything the TCA tells you about how this project is going to affect the surf at Trestles is a lie," a steadfast Matt McClain of Surfrider Foundation voiced. "If the TCA wants to have an open debate about this, we'd be happy to oblige."

"They say because Trestles has a cobblestone bottom, the loss of sediment won't affect the waves," McClain continued. "But when sand fills in, it dictates the quality of the wave. Look at this past winter; locals were claiming it was the best it's been in ages because of all the sand that packed in from that record rainfall."

Surfrider, among other environmental organizations, maintain that the TCA's recommended alignment of the 241 toll road extension poses a significant threat to the water and wave quality of Trestles Beach. "Mundaka is a perfect example. After a government-dredging project took out all the sand up river, the break shut down. The bottom topography never changed, the break was just sand starved," McClain stated. "Mundaka shows you how dependent breaks like Trestles are on sediment flow."

The San Onofre State Parks are answering as many questions as they can and informing the public about any impending loss to the existing terrain. "This land is a treasure. It's the last of its kind," San Onofre State Park Superintendent Steve Long said recently. "The toll road will not only affect the water quality, but also the visual, aesthetical, and spiritual experience of Trestles."

The proposed toll road route has six miles of the sixteen-mile stretch of asphalt running parallel to San Mateo Creek. Surfrider believes the sediment will likely be offset because of the underground concrete reinforcement that is needed for the building of new roads. They've also raised water quality concerns because of the area's rolling hills. If not properly contained, highway runoff could potentially lead down to the river and ultimately the ocean.

There's been talk about an alternative plan that aims to divert the Toll Road up Christianitos Road and drop it back near the coast three miles south. This would avoid the San Onofre Campground as well as sacred Native America burial grounds that exist within the state park. However, the details of this plan have yet to come to fruition.

The surf industry has rallied behind the Save Trestles movement. Such notable figures as Volcom CEO Richard Woolcott, Surfline president Sean Collins, and a slew of others have voiced their distaste for the planned development.

"We are witnessing a disaster in the making", former Surfing Magazine publisher Bob Mignogna reminds us. "But it is not too late to prevent the 241 Toll Road Extension from being built through the San Mateo Canyon. Go to www.Surfrider.org to find out what to do. Take action now to protect our pristine surf park."

Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Executive Director Sean Smith went to bat against legislators in Sacramento recently. Smith not only discussed the adverse effects to the environment but also to the surf industry as a whole. "One voice alone isn't going to do it," Smith remarked. "We need thousands. I realized that in Sacramento. Everyone should write a letter to the current California administration, whether it's to Schwarzenegger or the Parks Department." In addition to Surfrider, Smith cited Friends of the Foothill as a major ally on the front lines.

So what's the next step? If the final EIR is approved on January 12th, 2006, organizations opposing this project will most likely file a lawsuit and the battle will move into the courts.

"We can win this campaign if we continue to get the support like we did at last month's meeting," McClain concluded encouragingly. "We need to politicize this issue and get people shouting loud enough for both our state and local officials to hear."

For more information and to find out how you can help visit http://www.savetrestles.org.