In Oceano, where cars and ATVs are temporarily banned on the dunes, locals are nervous

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The sands of Oceano Dunes — the only state park where visitors are usually allowed to drive on the beach — are unusually quiet right now.Too quiet, many locals say, because off-road vehicles and beach camping have been temporarily banished from San Luis Obispo County’s Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area since April 14.

Many others, however, are happy about the pause, saying it will be good for the western snowy plover, a threatened sea bird species.This discord is part of a long-running battle between environmentalists and recreation advocates along this stretch of coastline a few miles south of Pismo Beach.

The environmentalists won the most recent round when a federal judge ordered the dunes closed until state parks officials obtain a permit from U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service that allows occasional bird casualties.State parks officials, who have canceled all camping reservations in the area through May 22, said they hope to reopen it by May 23.

But that timetable depends on permit approval by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, along Pier Street in Oceano, business is slow.At Sun Buggy Fun Rentals, which has been catering to visiting families for more than 20 years, “we’ve had to lay a majority of our folks off,” said owner Randy Jordan.He said he’s counting on state parks officials “doing everything they can” to reopen the area on May 23.At the Pier Street Deli y Mas, “It’s been really slow,” manager Chelsea Nava said.

“Our employees are losing hours.” In normal times, Nava said, 80% or more of her customers are from out of town, including “a lot of people from Bakersfield and Fresno, [who] come in for the dunes.”“We aren’t quite sure” what to expect next, Nava said, noting that her family took over the deli in late 2024.“We were doing really great rig...