By Dennis Craig Smith, Friends of Gaviota Coordinator

July 1, 2010 - Recently, FoG board members met with the ranger who has taken Supervisor Danita Rodriquez's place (Dan Falat), Officer in charge (Eric Hjelstrom), and the regional director (District Superintendent Richard Rozzelle out of Ventura).

We've waited for what seemed like years for Danita to be replaced. The meeting went well and we were assured that no one has been cited for nudity on either of the two beaches (San Onofre "north" or Vista Del Mar) that are directly east of Gaviota State Beach, nor does the state intend to begin citing for nudity. We want to underscore that point: No one has been cited for nudity on these two beaches since Officer Hjelstrom has worked the area (over 5 years). There have been arrests, however, for sexual activity on the beach and in the wooded areas in the stream bed. We have assured the State Park personnel that we share their concerns regarding lewd (sexual) activity on the beach and in the bushes along the trail.

Superintendent Dan Falat wants us to let Friends of Gaviota know that they intend to continue the Cahill Policy in this area. If you are asked to get dressed, however, by a ranger, please comply without argument. The matter cannot be resolved on the beach, but will be handled in appropriate and productive meetings with state personnel. The more we argue and fuss on the beach, the more difficulty we cause for ourselves.

Also remember that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is another matter altogether. There is an anti-nudity ordinance in the county, so the sheriff or CHP can issue tickets. As far as I know, there has never been a CHP citation on the coast of California for nudity, but the sheriff is a different matter. At this time, Sheriff Brown leaves the area we know as San Onofre "north" to the State Park Police. We all felt the new supervisor was not hostile to the existence of clothes-free recreation in the area we have traditionally used for forty years. He is, however, operating under Ruth Coleman (State Director of California State Parks and Beaches) and state park regulations, so we could not pin him down to whether or not he personally was for or against nude-use areas. Of course, he doesn't want to go on record one way or another, but we all felt good about what came out of the meeting

A few days after our meeting I was on the beach during the week. All the people on the beach were in bathing suits (except me) and panic was running up and down the shoreline. "The rangers are here and they're raiding the beach," I was told. The rangers were on the bluff, and I waved to them and they waved back. They were not there to "raid" the beach, nor did they. I told everyone I met not to run and get dressed, "Just be natural. They are not here about our nudity." I explained if it was nudity they were there for, I would have been "busted." I was nude and they were waving at me. If they approach you, be polite, stay nude unless asked to get dressed. At the meeting they said they could tell who was with Friends of Gaviota because those who are not "run in all directions" and scramble into their clothes. We have worked hard to achieve a good relationship with the rangers, and we don't want to lose what we have gained.