Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Pacifica cracks down on off-leash dogs to protect western snowy plover

By Julia Scott
Updated: 11/09/2010 05:58:54 PM PST

PACIFICA -- The City Council vowed to protect the tiny, endangered western snowy plover Monday night with new rules cracking down on off-leash dogs and other harms on Pacifica State Beach. 

Capping two years of fierce debate between dog owners and wildlife advocates, the City Council unanimously adopted a policy that would enforce existing leash laws on the beach and install signs and fencing in areas where the snowy plovers are known to roost in the winter.

The decision fell short of the stricter protections sought by some environmentalists.

"I would be a lot more open to allowing dogs on parts of the beach if the city ever showed a semblance of control or enforcement at this location," Dyer Crouch said after the meeting. Crouch is co-chairman of the Pacifica Open Space Committee, which recommended that the city ban dogs from the sandy area of the beach north of Crespi Drive to avoid disturbing snowy plovers.

Easily mistaken for a fluffy cotton ball, the western snowy plover was listed as a federally endangered species in 1993. A host of urban threats have contributed to the birds' decline, including humans trampling their small, exposed nests, built into dunes along the seashore; dogs; predatory birds; and non-native grasses that disrupt their habitat.

 

Posted by Steve Sinai

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cracks down? More like cracked up. All they did was send the loonies off to play with some fencing. Banned nothing and divided nothing. Added the bit about asking Fish and Wildlife to comment on the city's final plan so that they can't get sued. If you missed the meeting catch the rerun Thursday. Classic Pathetica Pacifica with a fine surprise ending.

Rodney King said...

Why can't we all just get along

Anonymous said...

Rodney baby don't worry be happy. Nothing has changed. No new laws just a few signs and some ugly fencing someday which mother nature will take care of pretty quick. We've seen it before. Busy work for the arrogant fools who keep trying to tell us how to live and spend money we don't have on problems that don't exist. Meanwhile, the beach is open to everyone and their dogs. Just the way it should be. The way it's always been.

Anonymous said...

Professional fundraiser Sam Casillas is going to help with getting funds for the dog park. That should help a lot.