The Environmental Center was fortunate to have partnered with SDSU students in educational outreach on a topic of statewide importance, “Your Access to the Coast”.

“For our leadership class project at San Diego State University, we partnered with ECOSD to raise awareness about coastal access in San Diego. Our goal was to educate the community about the importance of following regulations to ensure public access to the coastline. We used the YourCoast app to identify the beaches and coastal areas that were meant to be open to the public, ensuring our understanding of local access points and legal boundaries was up to date. As part of our project, we conducted a public survey to assess how well people understood coastal access laws and regulations. The survey revealed that many community members lacked awareness about these laws, indicating a need for more comprehensive public education on the subject.

To address this gap, we focused on two specific areas that have faced challenges with California state access laws in the past: Campland on the Bay RV Resort and Paradise Point Resort & Spa. Our on-site investigations were reassuring, as we found that both locations were accessible to the public. Notably, Campland had established a designated parking area for visitors. These findings were encouraging, demonstrating that progress is being made in ensuring the public can enjoy San Diego’s coastline per state regulations.

With these insights, we created a booth on the SDSU campus in collaboration with ECOSD to share information about coastal access laws and regulations. Throughout the event, we engaged with approximately two dozen students, providing them with valuable resources and knowledge on the topic. The response was overwhelmingly positive, as many students expressed appreciation for the information and left feeling more informed about their rights to coastal access. Ultimately, we presented our project to our peers, showcasing the importance of raising awareness and advocating for public coastal access in San Diego.”