On December 18, 2008, the Dept. of Commerce denied the Orange County toll road agency’s appeal of the California Coastal Commission’s decision against this road through San Onofre State Beach. This was momentous step toward saving the park and its wildlife.



The Foothill toll road would bisect one of the most popular parks in California and degrade the San Mateo campground, push the Pacific pocket mouse toward literal extinction, and remove coastal sage scrub that is uniquely valuable for the California gnatcatcher. It was found to be inconsistent with the federal Coastal Zone Management Act by the Coastal Commission, stopping the project. When the toll road agency appealed this decision to the federal government’s responsible agency – the Dept. of Commerce – EHL and its allies in the Save San Onofre Coalition mounted opposition at a public hearing and through extensive comments.

The decision by Commerce cited an alternative to the project as well as lack of national security justification. The toll road agency is now weighing its options, including suing Commerce or pursuing a practical way to alleviate traffic, such as widening Interstate 5.

It has been EHL's privilege to participate in a most effective coalition effort, and we stand ready to work with all parties on alternatives that save our finest recreational and natural resources.