California State Parks has proposed a new, southern dune buggy entrance to the off-highway vehicle area at Oso Flaco Lake. This is a disastrous idea—and it undermines the multi-decade efforts of The Nature Conservancy, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others in creating the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Preserve, which protects thousands of acres of rare and pristine dunes that host a multitude of flora and fauna, including the rare snowy plover, least tern, and Western pond turtle. Oso Flaco Lake is an integral part of the preserve, and State Parks' proposal would not only impair the region's ecosystem, it would seriously detract from the fishing and hiking experience there, convert 120 acres of agricultural land, and add an off-highway vehicle staging area for increased motorized access to the OHV park.

Visit Oso Flaco Lake and see for yourself why this beautiful area is worth preserving. For more information, see oceanodunespwp.com and get your name on the mailing list—please get involved and help prevent this ecological calamity.

Kara A. Woodruff

San Luis Obispo