The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is accepting public comments as part of its review of California’s Coastal Management Program, giving off-highway vehicle enthusiasts an opportunity to place concerns about coastal access and motorized recreation into the federal record.
The public comment period follows NOAA’s decision to conduct an additional performance evaluation of the state program administered through agencies that include the California Coastal Commission. Although the review is much broader than off-road recreation or any single riding area, it could influence future discussions over how California balances environmental protection, public access, recreation and economic activity along its coast.
Written comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on August 22, 2026.
Quiet Warrior Racing Submits Coastal Recreation Report
Quiet Warrior Racing LLC has submitted comments to NOAA accompanied by Policy Report No. 2026-1, titled California’s Coastal Management Program at Fifty: A Policy Review of Recreation, Public Access, Adaptive Management, and the Implementation of the California Coastal Act and Federal Coastal Zone Management Act.
The report examines nearly five decades of California coastal policy, including the evolution of public access, recreation, conservation, coordinated planning and adaptive management. It also documents what Quiet Warrior Racing describes as a significant reduction in legal coastal motorized recreation opportunities.
“Our report recognizes California’s remarkable conservation accomplishments while asking an important public policy question,” said Don Amador, president of Quiet Warrior Racing. “Has implementation of the Coastal Act continued to reflect the Legislature’s original vision of balancing environmental stewardship with public access, recreation, coordinated planning, and the social and economic needs of Californians?”
Amador’s report does not argue against coastal conservation. Instead, it asks whether California’s implementation of the Coastal Act has maintained an appropriate balance between protecting resources and accommodating the public uses also recognized under state and federal coastal policy.
The Quiet Warrior Racing comment letter submitted to NOAA is available through the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division.
Why the NOAA Review Matters
Section 312 of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act requires NOAA to periodically evaluate the performance of federally approved state coastal management programs. The agency reviews whether a state has implemented and enforced its approved program, addressed coastal management needs and complied with the conditions attached to federal grants and cooperative agreements.
NOAA describes California’s coastal program as a federal-state partnership intended to balance coastal resource protection with sustainable economic development and public access.
The current evaluation follows an earlier public meeting held in August 2024. NOAA says it is particularly seeking new information concerning spaceport infrastructure, offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, desalination projects and undersea cables.
Public access and outdoor recreation remain relevant to the broader evaluation, however, especially when considering how California’s coastal policies have been implemented over time.
As UTVGuide.net previously explained in our report on the federal review of California’s Coastal Management Program, the evaluation does not automatically reopen riding areas or overturn individual decisions made by the California Coastal Commission. Its findings could nevertheless produce recommendations, mandatory corrective actions or policy arguments that influence future coastal decisions.
Oceano Dunes as a Test of Adaptive Management
For California’s OHV community, the most important example is Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. It remains the only California State Park where visitors can drive from the beach into a designated coastal OHV riding area.
Quiet Warrior Racing cites Oceano Dunes as an example of adaptive management that can support recreation while protecting sensitive resources. California State Parks has used habitat fencing, seasonal closures, wildlife monitoring, restoration work, law enforcement and other management measures to address environmental concerns while retaining some public access.
Over time, however, the amount of terrain available for riding has declined. Approximately 900 acres within the Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve were permanently closed to vehicle recreation in 2024, adding to existing seasonal and resource-protection closures.
The park also remains the subject of continuing litigation. A lawsuit filed in June 2026 challenges California State Parks’ Habitat Conservation Plan and environmental review, potentially creating another pathway to additional restrictions. Our article on the new lawsuit targeting management of Oceano Dunes SVRA provides more background on that dispute.
Recreation advocates argue that Oceano Dunes demonstrates how conservation and managed OHV access can coexist. Environmental organizations continue to contend that motorized recreation is incompatible with protecting some sensitive species and coastal habitats.
That disagreement makes Oceano Dunes especially relevant to NOAA’s review: it is a real-world test of whether adaptive management can protect coastal resources without eliminating a long-established form of public recreation.
Friends of Oceano Dunes Welcomes the Review
Friends of Oceano Dunes has also welcomed the federal evaluation. The organization has spent decades advocating for beach driving, camping and OHV recreation at Oceano Dunes.
Speaking with FOX26 following the announcement of the review, Friends of Oceano Dunes President Jim Suty said he believes the California Coastal Commission has expanded its authority well beyond the original intent of the Coastal Act.
“The Coastal Commission has taken their power and authority far too far,” Suty said.
Suty also questioned why both California State Parks and the Coastal Commission exercise authority affecting the same state recreation property. His comments reflect a longstanding concern among Oceano Dunes supporters that overlapping regulatory authority has resulted in repeated restrictions despite extensive resource-management programs already administered by State Parks.
The Coastal Commission’s authority at Oceano Dunes was tested in court after it attempted to phase out OHV recreation through amendments to the park’s coastal development permit. Courts ruled that the Commission could not use that process to prohibit a use expressly permitted by San Luis Obispo County’s certified Local Coastal Program. In July 2025, the California Supreme Court declined to review the appellate decision, leaving the lower court ruling intact.
That outcome represented a major victory for Friends of Oceano Dunes in its legal fight against the Coastal Commission, but it did not end the broader disputes over habitat protection, permitting and recreation management at the park.
Public Access Has Economic Consequences
The debate extends beyond the boundaries of the riding area. Oceano Dunes visitors support hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, fuel stations, repair shops, dealerships and other businesses throughout Oceano, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach and the surrounding region.
Unlike many coastal visitors, OHV families frequently arrive with motorhomes, trailers and recreational vehicles and stay for multiple days. That spending makes the park an important tourism driver for communities along California’s Central Coast.
The economic importance of continued access is examined in greater detail in Oceano Dunes SVRA: An Economic Engine for California’s Central Coast.
Quiet Warrior Racing’s report encourages NOAA to consider these community and economic effects alongside conservation accomplishments and regulatory outcomes.
OHMVR Commission Preparing Its Own NOAA Letter
The California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission discussed the NOAA evaluation during its August 6 meeting in North Lake Tahoe. An ad hoc committee prepared a draft letter addressing the importance of public access, motorized recreation and balanced coastal management.
The OHMVR Commission is accepting comments on its draft letter until 5 p.m. on August 14, 2026. The draft and public comment form are available through the OHMVR Commission meeting page.
This is separate from NOAA’s August 22 deadline. Recreationists may provide input on the Commission’s draft letter and also submit their own comments directly to NOAA.
How to Submit Comments to NOAA
Written comments should be emailed to:
czma.california-evaluation@noaa.gov
Use the following subject line:
Comments on Performance Evaluation of the California Coastal Management Program
Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on August 22, 2026.
NOAA’s complete instructions are included in the official Federal Register notice.
Comments do not need to be lengthy, but they should be respectful, specific and based on personal experience or verifiable information. Relevant topics may include:
- The importance of public access to California’s coast.
- The value of managed OHV recreation at Oceano Dunes.
- Personal or family experiences visiting the recreation area.
- Examples of conservation and recreation coexisting through adaptive management.
- The effects of reduced access on local businesses and communities.
- Whether state agencies adequately coordinate their management and permitting decisions.
- How implementation of the Coastal Act has affected recreational opportunities.
Participants should understand that comments become part of the public record. Names, email addresses, attachments and supporting materials submitted to NOAA may become publicly accessible. Sensitive personal or confidential information should not be included.
An Opportunity to Put OHV Access on the Record
NOAA’s evaluation will not resolve every legal or management dispute surrounding Oceano Dunes. It will not automatically reverse closures, reopen riding terrain or eliminate the environmental laws governing the park.
It does, however, provide a formal opportunity for the OHV community to explain why managed motorized recreation belongs in the discussion about California’s coast.
For riders who believe conservation, public access and responsible recreation can coexist, the most important step is to submit constructive, fact-based comments before the August 22 deadline. Those comments will become part of the record NOAA considers when evaluating whether California’s Coastal Management Program continues to provide the balance envisioned under state and federal coastal law.
Visit our Land Use & Access section for additional public-comment opportunities and proposed actions affecting motorized recreation.
