A joint resolution to honor California beaches and protect access to them as well as their fire rings was adopted today by the California Legislature with unanimous consent.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 52 by Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) does not go to the governor for a signature and has no bearing on air-quality regulations currently being debated (and softened) locally.
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“As a resident of Huntington Beach and a surfer, I am honored to commemorate California's beaches and access to those beaches,” Allen says in a statement from his office. “Activities such as beach bonfires are a beloved pastime that is a safe and inexpensive recreational activity enjoyed by all the members of our community. I am honored to join my fellow legislators in honoring our beaches and the timeless community pastimes that our beaches provide.”
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and California Coastal Commission are currently debating the future of some of Orange County's 600 fire rings at city and state beaches. For the latest on that, see:
AQMD Softens Fire Ring Proposal Days Before Newport Beach Town Hall
Allen has joined other local politicians and the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce in supporting the preservation of beach bonfires. The assemblyman's office cites figures showing fire rings bring Surf City more than $1 million annually in revenue from parking income alone.
“California has a wonderful history and beach culture that is deeply woven into our communities, especially in Southern California,” Allen says in his statement. “Beach bonfires positively contribute to communities culturally and economically. ACR 52 further highlights a lifestyle that has brought people together for generations.”
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.