On a beautiful Spring day on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, state and military dignitaries gathered to celebrate a new “lease on life” for this important state park.

With its beach camping and world-famous surf break, San Onofre State Beach is one of California’s most visited parks. Its lagoon, creek, and uplands shelter a wide array of endangered species, such as the Southern steelhead trout. However, the land is part of Marine Base Camp Pendleton, and a lease renewal now entails “fair market value” rather than the nominal sum that characterized the original lease.

With assistance from the San Onofre Parks Foundation, State and Navy negotiators beat a tight deadline with creative solutions for compensation, using in-kind services, such as military training on other state lands. 

EHL was honored to attend the ceremony. Back in 2016, we had been part of a coalition that saved the park from being bisected by a toll road. We salute the US Navy, Marine Corps, California Natural Resources Agency, and California Dept of Parks and Recreation for their commitment to extending this legacy.