The Oceano Dunes south of Arroyo Grande Creek reopened Thursday morning just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The area shut down in April after a federal judge ruled that California State Parks was violating the Endangered Species Act. The closure lasted while State Parks awaited a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"We've been working on that permit with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for several years now, and we just got the incidental take permit on Wednesday of this week," said Jon O'Brien, Oceano Dunes District Superintendent.
The incidental take permit lasts 25 years and allows an organization to legally continue a project or activity that might accidentally harm an endangered species — in this case, the Western Snowy Plover — as long as steps are taken to reduce the impact.
The dunes reopened at 9 a.m. Thursday. Among the first visitors to return were Rahul Mothe and his wife, who traveled from Florida to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Mothe said he was relieved the area had reopened after making the long trip.
"I think I am lucky to be allowed to get in there today," Mothe said. "I will be bashing some dunes, using ATVs. It's my third time. I was here twice before I got married, so I wanted to do it again."
O'Brien says visitors may notice fenced-off areas where shorebird nesting is taking place. He also warns that wind may have significantly reshaped the dune landscape during the closure and is encouraging people to drive with caution.
"Check areas before they just zoom over a dune they're not familiar with," O'Brien said.
State Parks estimates it lost approximately $250,000 in revenue during the closure.
Jim Suty, president of Friends of the Oceano Dunes, said his nonprofit heard from numerous business owners and families who also felt the impact.
"All it did was harm the businesses that need the economy from the tourism, and it hurt the families that love to go out there and recreate," Suty said.
The manager of "Yo, Banana Boy!", a shop selling ATV and off-roading gear on the beach, said the business would have been forced to fully shut down had the closure lasted much longer.
O'Brien said his team used the downtime to make improvements throughout the park, including upgrades to bathrooms, fencing, and trash removal.
"We did quite a bit of work out there trying to improve the park for users once they came back," he said.
Despite the closure, O'Brien says the park is expecting a full house this Memorial Day weekend, consistent with previous years.
"We're sold out for camping and we're expecting to be sold out for day use as well," he said.
