Beaches are expensive. In today’s environment, where local and state governments are strapped for cash, residents are being called upon to cough up some money and/or time to help support their local beaches. Let’s look at a good example of the kind of action that can take place when residents are mobilized.
The three-mile California beach front from Cardiff to Carlsbad was showing wear and tear from overuse, as noted by the north sector superintendent for San Diego Coast District of the California State Parks System, Brian Ketterer. To help “get a little of the love back”, Dennis Kessler and Bill Mahoney started the non-profit group Friends of Cardiff and Carlsbad State Beaches (FCCSB). The group encourages community members to become involved in the protection and enhancement the coastal state parks. Kessler and Mahoney are rugged campground hosts from Cardiff and Carlsbad.
The initial goals of the group are to:
- Shore up with sand the bluffs below the San Elijo campground
- Expand the number of educational and arts programs at the campgrounds
- Pay for overdue facility improvements
The FCCSB came about after years of discussion. Volunteers were easily recruited to the cause once the group began operating. The hardest part of starting the group was getting through all the burdensome red tape. “But now we have an organized group that can push money forward and get projects done,” commented Ketterer. “And it couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
Believe it or not, the FCCSB has raised over $20,000 so far for educational and facility improvement projects, but that is just the beginning. Mahoney has said: “We are in the process of building Pelican Point (at Carlsbad State Beach) which will be an education and events center. A bunch of contractors and other people have stepped up to do the construction, now we just need local businesses to get involved and donate materials.”
One such business is run by Sean Kelly, whose job it is to sell leads to local real estate brokers. Kelly participated by helping to organize the “Christmas In July” annual fundraiser. “It kind of started out as a joke,” Kessler said. “We brought out Santa Claus, and the kids and family went crazy. They took pictures for their Christmas cards and we raised over $8,000 — mostly from the raffle tickets bought by the campers.”
This is just one story of public-private cooperation to help support beaches. In fact, the California State Park System works with over 80 nonprofits dedicated to supporting various parks and beaches. If this sounds like a good idea, why not start a beach support group in your community? Your beach will love you for it.