The proposed development of the Foothill Transportation Corridor South (FTC-South) is a sixteen-mile long toll road highway that if constructed, threatens the world-class surf break at Trestles and surrounding waves (Uppers, Church, Cottons). The project would also result in the obliteration of Southern California's last remaining pristine coastal watershed and substantially degrade habitat that is critical for the survival of at least seven endangered species, including the Southern Steelhead trout. Although coalition partners recently achieved and unprecedented victory with the California Coastal Commission we are not out of the woods, your support is vital to the protection of this natural resource.

For more info please go to: www.savetrestles.org

Toll Road Hits Major Bump
Trestles supporters rejoice as the California Coastal Commission votes against the 241 project 8-2

Rest easy: you can make a difference. All it takes is passion, voice, motivation and the belief that good will prevail. Surfers discovered that at the Del Mar Fairgrounds when the California Coastal Commission, after sitting through 14 hours of impassioned speeches and long-winded reports, ruled 8-2 that the proposed 241 toll road project is NOT in compliance with the California Coastal Act. What this means is that the Transportation Corridor Authority (TCA), the corporation in charge of building the toll road, will not get its needed permit from the CCC. There will likely be appeals, of course, but this monumental decision, witnessed by more than 2,000 surfers and wildlife supporters throughout Southern California, means the hotly contested 241 toll road, intersecting the I5 right at Trestles, is looking a lot less likely.

Things didn't appear that way leading up to the hearing. Recently, our goat of a governor, Arnold Schwarznegger, decided to thumb his nose at San Onofre State Park, favor the toll road and seriously slash state park budgets up and down the coast. Surfrider Executive Director Jim Moriarty admitted he was down a few days ago. "I just woke up one morning, going, 'Does anyone really care?'" But that all changed on Wednesday morning, when he saw an endless throng of surfers show up to Del Mar Fairgrounds to voice their opposition. "My spirits just soared," he said.

He wasn't the only one. The Sierra Club's Mark Massara. 1977 World Champ Shaun Tomson. Skip and Donna Frye. Mickey Munoz. Taylor Knox. The Hobgoods. Greg Long. The Gudauakas Brothers. Even little Brother Andino were all there, along with countless other personalities and everyday surfers, standing shoulder to shoulder and wearing their "Save Trestles" slogans on their sleeves. The numbers gradually dwindled into the late-night hours, when the 10 commission members reviewed their findings and voiced their conclusions. But there were still plenty of surfers on hand. The vote started at 2-2 and it was uncertain as to which way it would swing. But then Commission Steve Blank -- an appointee of Arnold, no less -- began to speak. "Offers to buy a state park and run a toll road through it is embarrassing," he said as he voted against it. It rolled on from there. "There are impacts, serious impacts, which can't be mitigated," said Commissioner Mary Schallenberger. Soon, the vote grew to 8-2, meaning a dead end for the TCA -- at least for the time being.
As Moriarty said at the lunchtime rally, "This toll road project has been going on for over a decade and will continue along with many others like it. Save Trestles isn't a campaign or a slogan; it's a lifestyle. This is your lifestyle. Embrace it."
Just look what happens when we do.
[Special thanks to all the activists who put in countless hours into the Save Trestles campaign. You all deserve your pick of set waves in perpetuity.]
Check out the minute to minute updates on Save Trestles twitter: twitter.com/SaveTrestles

The Toll Road Issue:

The proposed Foothill Transportation Corridor South (FTC-South) is a sixteen-mile long toll road highway that if constructed, threatens the world-class surf break at Trestles and surrounding waves (Uppers, Church, Cottons). The project would also result in the obliteration of Southern California's last remaining pristine coastal watershed and substantially degrade habitat that is critical for the survival of at least seven endangered species, including the Southern Steelhead trout.

How It Effects Your Day At the Beach:

Wave Degradation
--This project would require substantial grading of the terrain and millions of yards of hard reinforcement (steel, concrete and other materials), that will alter the natural sediment flow through San Mateo Creek,, which supplies sand to the Trestles surf breaks.
-- According to the Transportation Corridor Agency's own engineering consultants, losses in sedimentation flow would cause "substantial degradation to surfing resources," which will likely result in significant degradation to the wave quality at Lower Trestles and nearby breaks (including Uppers, Middles, Cottons and Church).

Water Quality
-- A recent scientific report demonstrates that when over 10 percent of a watershed is paved there are significant water quality and ecosystem impacts.
-- Similar projects have resulted in generating significant increases of oils, heavy metals and other toxins. Given the proximity of the project to the watershed, this project would result in a decrease of water quality for Trestles and the surrounding breaks.
-- The TCA's assertion that they can mitigate for this run-off is dubious. The initial mitigation systems that were installed on the nearby RT73 Toll Road failed, and had to be replaced at tax-payer expense. All mitigation efforts are ineffective during large rain events.

Environmental Damage from the Toll Road
-- The walk in at Trestles is half the experience. The area is home to numerous native plant and animal species, including several endangered species. This area would be profoundly impacted by such a massive project essentially cutting the San Mateo Creek watershed in half.
-- The FTC-South will run directly through San Onofre Beach State Park, a 2028.8-acre park and one of the last large coastal open spaces in Southern California.
-- Significant direct or indirect impacts to park wetlands, public access and visual resources. The FTC-South will essentially destroy the 5th most visited California State Parks.

What's The Point?
It Provides No Traffic Relief?’Ä¢ TCA claims that the FTC-South will provide relief of traffic congestion along Interstate 5 in fact contradict their own FTC-South traffic projections that rely on cannibalizing San Diego County bound traffic from the I-15 and feeding that Inland Empire traffic to the I-5 via the toll roads.
-- FTC-South would be built through undeveloped land, which would promote development, and ultimately bring forth new traffic from urbanization.
-- FTC-South will increase, not decrease traffic on the 1-5 stretch in south San Clemente where the proposed toll road will merge with 1-5, which is already at over-capacity along this stretch. Northern San Diego County will also be affected by potentially severe increases in traffic congestion.

Expense
-- The FTC-South is expected to cost close to $1 billion (nearly $53 million a mile). Currently the plan is to fund the project by non-recourse bonds, as well as development impact fees that are already being added to real estate sales in Southern Orange County.
-- Contrary to TCA claims, these projects are NOT SELF FUNDED! According to an October 10, 2005 article in the Orange County Register, the nearby RT73 Toll Road is "financially struggling" and "faces not being able to make its debt payments in about nine years." -- need to explain how this burden will get shifted to the public.

The Fight's Not Over, Get Involved:

-- The dramatic decreases in water quality, degradation to the wave quality at Trestles, destruction of the San Onofre State Beach Park and some of the last open space in Southern California, and harm to endangered and threatened species are costs not worth the questionable benefits of this extremely expensive toll road.
-- Surfers, swimmers and other ocean enthusiasts enjoy the waters and waves of Trestles year round. There is no other place like it in California or the world. Among Southern Californian surfers, the Trestles breaks are known as "The Yosemite of Surfing." It is a very special place. Please join us to speak out for Trestles so we can preserve it for our children and our future,

For more information please visit www.savetrestles.org