By Christina Zubko
There was overwhelming support for a new Ormond Beach Land Management Proposal during a town hall meeting April 24.
While the plan is not yet final, there were many positive actions, and some concerns were not yet fully addressed.
The City of Oxnard hosted the meeting to inform the public about a proposal to have US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) become the land manager for the area of the Ormond Beach complex that is currently considered for the Ormond Beach Restoration and Access Plan (OBRAP). Details: https://tinyurl.com/OrmondBeachPlan
If accepted by USFWS, they would make the area a wildlife refuge.
In the meantime, the CA Coastal Commission on May 12 approved a permit that would allow The Nature Conservancy to begin removing invasive species, which was another win for Ormond Beach.
There was still concern about encampments around Ormond Beach and Ventura Audubon member Joan Tharp shared her questions about not including the property currently owned by the Ormond Beach Generating Station -- that is soon to be demolished -- in their discussions. She emphasized that critically endangered species do not know property boundaries.
The partners noted these comments and reminded the community that some of these concerns were beyond the scope of the evening’s agenda. Oxnard City Manager Alex Nguyen also emphasized that the proposal is just that and much must happen before this proposal comes to fruition.
Nearly 100 people attended the meeting in person and virtually and based on the public comments, support for the proposal is overwhelming. Members from the Sierra Club, Saviers Road Design Club, Ventura Audubon Society, Ventura Surfrider, CAUSE, Coastal Keepers, Earth Alert!, Friends of Ormond Beach, and the city of Port Hueneme representatives all spoke favorably about the proposal.
Currently, three partners are stewards of the area: city of Oxnard, The Nature Conservancy, and State Coastal Conservancy. These three partners, however, do not act as land managers but instead are the lead agencies tasked with finding one. After careful consideration, the three partners finally found a potential land manager in USFWS.
Notable community members addressed the town hall: Anne Jensen, Oxnard city manager Alex Nguyen and Peter Dixon, Restoration Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy. A representative from Ventura County (District 5) attended and reporters for the VC Star and VC Reporter were also present.
Friends of Ormond Beach thank everyone for their support and believe advocates are making a difference. They also ask all Ormond Beach enthusiasts to stay tuned and to keep reading Condor Call for the latest developments around Ormond Beach.
Editor’s note: Christina Zubko is co-founder of Friends of Ormond Beach. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook. Any opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the writer. Reach the Friends of Ormond at saveormondbeach2019@gmail.com
Ormond Great Blue Heron is part of the diversity of Ormond Beach, which now has a better chance for restoration (Photo by Joan Tharp)