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gringorio
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KILLING BAJA
KILLING BAJA
Five reasons the Baja we know and love will be gone in a decade -- and what you can do to save it
By Serge Dedina
May 12th, 2005
http://www.wildcoast.net/mznews/archives/000153.html
Summertime's coming and just about everyone who lives for the long point waves of Baja believes in the Pristine Myth -- the conviction that Baja will
be empty, desolate and wild -- forever. This delusion is at erroneous at best and dangerous at worst. The Baja California that drives us to live for
that frenzied first round-the-bend glimpse of a pumping swell at a "secret" point we've surfed for the past quarter century is going fast and could
disappear in ten years.
Here are five reasons why the Baja you love, the Baja you dream of, the Baja that makes you feel like a primeval surf explorer will no longer exist in
a decade -- unless you take action to save it:
Energy Development. In the past four years some of the world's biggest energy companies -- Sempra, Shell, Chevron-Texaco, and Marathon Oil -- have
either built or proposed the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals along Baja's Pacific coast. Sempra-Shell is already halfway through
a terminal that destroyed famed Harry's. Next on the list of doomed sites -- the Coronado Islands where Chevron-Texaco plans a massive facility, and
Cabo Colonet, where a LNG terminal would also be housed to a major new port and industrial complex (see below).
Port Construction. The Port of Ensenada is planning a five billion dollar massive industrial, LNG and urban complex on one of the last pristine
stretches of coastline between Ensenada and San Quintin at Cabo Colonet. This new port will be larger than the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles
combined. The city associated with the Port will eventually rival Ensenada and will envelop every surf spot around Cuatros.
Marinas and Mega-Resorts. In 2003, John McCarthy, Mexico?s Chief of Tourism Development (FONATUR), announced plans to roll back a plan to build
marinas at six point breaks on Baja's Pacific coast including Scorpion Bay and Punta Abreojos. Unfortunately, FONATUR recently announced plans for new
marinas at Punta Abreojos and La Bocana. These projects are planned despite the fact that a similar marina at Santa Rosalillita is filed in with sand
and will forever sit idle. Major resorts and marinas are also now on deck in Bahia de los Angeles, San Jose del Cabo, and Loreto.
The Baja Land Race. With the detonation of the second home market in Baja and the availability of once previously locked off coastal property (due to
previous inability of ejidos or collective agrarian cooperatives to sell land), the race is on to buy up and develop every speck of coastal Baja. Even
though under Mexican law coastal access is a right, after all of this development occurs, entry to the coast for visiting surfers and local rippers
will become almost impossible.
Coastal Pollution. Runoff from the Tijuana River has made Imperial Beach, Coronado some the most polluted surf breaks in California. Just north of
Baja Malibu, a creek at San Antonio delivers about 12 million gallons of sewage to the coast every day, 365 days a year. Development around San Miguel
sends sewage right into the lineup after it rains. Cabo Pulmo the northernmost coral reef in North America, located in the heart of the East Cape, is
severely threatened by septic tank related pollution. Expect new coastal development to pollute your favorite wave in Baja.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Protect the Coast. You can protect the coastal property you own or plan to buy in Baja through a conservation easement -- a dedicated legally valid
document that prohibits your land from ever being developed into a mega-resort even after you sell it. Email Saul Alarcon at saul@wildcoast.net to
learn more on how to protect your beachfront property in Baja and get a tax break in the process.
Save San Ignacio Lagoon. WiLDCOAST, Pronatura, NRDC, and the International Community Foundation, recently protected 140,000-acres along the shoreline
of San Ignacio Lagoon (midway between Abreojos and Scorpion Bay), in a project that also plans to conserve Punta Abreojos and the coast north of
Scorpion Bay. You can help save one of Baja's great wilderness surfbreak areas for ten dollars an acre. Go to savethegraywhale.com and donate now.
Save Punta Abreojos. WiLDCOAST and the Natural Resources Defense Council have joined the Environmental Law Center of Mexico and the Group of 100 in
challenging an inadequate environmental impact assessment for the newly planned Punta Abreojos marina, but we need your help. Please email the
following Mexican government officials and let them know (respectfully) that you are opposed to building the FONATUR marina at Punta Abreojos that
will destroy one of Baja?s most treasured waves and coastal ecosystems: Bi?logo Juan Ricardo Ju?rez Palacios, Direcci?n General de Impacto y Riesgo
Ambiental (here) and Ing. Jos? Luis Luege Tamargo, Secretar?a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (here). Please cc all emails to
saul@wildcoast.net
Leave No Trace. Pack it in and pack it out. There are no suitable landfills anywhere in Baja at all. The accumulation of plastic from cities and from
surf spots is a major source of ocean pollution. Every surfer who visits Baja can make a difference just by packing out trash. Go to www.lnt.org and learn about how to save your favorite Baja break from being overrun with garbage.
Clean up the Tijuana River. WiLDCOAST and our community partners on both sides of the border have launched an effort to clean up the Tijuana River
(yes it can be done) and reduce beach closures in Playas de Tijuana, Imperial Beach and Coronado. Email Benjamin@wildcoast.net to have your surf club
or business endorse our Clean Water Action Plan.
Party at the Waterman's Weekend. For the Surf Industry, the annual social calendar is capped by this summertime gala that provides a serious source of
funding for organizations working to save Baja's surf breaks. This year the event takes place on August 4th and 5th at the St. Regis Monarch Beach
Resort and Spa in Dana Point. Go to www.sima.com and buy your tickets now.
So get a reality check. Get active. Just don't pretend that the spot south of the border you live for with its once endless supply of crystal clean
water and righteous wave is going to wait for you forever. --Serge Dedina
If you care about our surf spots, sign up for Surfline's new EnviroAlert Email List. We'll keep you informed about when a spot's in danger -- and what
you can do to help save it.
About the author: The Executive Director of WiLDCOAST, Serge Dedina grew up a couple of miles from the U.S-Mexico border fence and took his first trip
to Baja back in 1972. He can be located at sdedina@wildcoast.net or surfing his home break of Imperial Beach -- when it's not polluted.
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woody with a view
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too bad the email links for the biologists are not active...
| Quote: |
Bi?logo Juan Ricardo Ju?rez Palacios, Direcci?n General de Impacto y Riesgo Ambiental (here) and Ing. Jos? Luis Luege Tamargo, Secretar?a de Medio
Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (here).
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 nor are
they actice on the wildcoast site... i sent an email to the author asking for the info and will post here if i get a reply.
[Edited on 5-12-2006 by woody in ob]
[Edited on 5-12-2006 by woody in ob]
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MrBillM
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Dead and Gone
The Los Angeles I knew and loved as a child has been gone for a lot of years. Inglewood went from being an idyllic town when I was a child to a
ghetto where life is cheap. The Beach towns I loved from Manhattan to Redondo are ruined, too. They ruined the surfing at Dana Point when they
built the marina. In Baja, San Felipe started the downhill slide in the late 70s.
That's Life. That's Progress (or so they say). No matter how many "little" things any of us do, it will have no impact on the macro picture in Baja
that is being driven by HUGE amounts of investment dollars. Enjoy it while you can. There will be no turning back.
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Barry A.
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MrBillM---You are right, of course-----
----but once again I ask, "Where is the fresh water"???? Are desal plants really going to be the answer????
Personally, I doubt it.
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The Sculpin
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How ironic that the surf industry is having their little get together at a one time secret spot. Where the hell where they when that hotel went up?
This also brings out another irony of the surf scene, at least in california.....that surfing is inherently an enviornmental disaster and a very
selfish sport! Aloha be damned, nobody wants to share the waves with 100 other surfers. I have some friends that claim to have found the last
unspoiled surf zone, and after hearing what they have to do to get there, I believe it! Personally, I will not risk being eaten by animal or human to
surf alone, so it's off to to baja I go, and I better not see the likes of any of you there....(yea right..).
Back to my point, let's have a fundraiser at a place we couldn't protect, to raise money to save another place that's not even in our own country, and
while not perfect, could actually help the lives of the people who actually live there!
Where do I sign up!?!?
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Sharksbaja
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mo water woes
exactly my thoughts Barry.. Also, it's silly waht they say bout the trash cbecause there are many sites suitable for burial. Just need to dig a big
hole.
[Edited on 5-12-2006 by Sharksbaja]
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gringorio
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They have done, and are doing, more than several here who always seem to find fault with thoughtful, proactive efforts to protect the environment -
the very places that many of you visit and use.
There's so many pessimists here... "That's Life" ?? Give me a break! 
http://www.wildcoast.net/
http://www.propeninsula.org/
http://portal.semarnat.gob.mx/semarnat/portal
http://www.profepa.gob.mx/profepa
http://www.ine.gob.mx/
| Quote: | Originally posted by The Sculpin
How ironic that the surf industry is having their little get together at a one time secret spot. Where the hell where they when that hotel went up?
This also brings out another irony of the surf scene, at least in california.....that surfing is inherently an enviornmental disaster and a very
selfish sport! Aloha be damned, nobody wants to share the waves with 100 other surfers. I have some friends that claim to have found the last
unspoiled surf zone, and after hearing what they have to do to get there, I believe it! Personally, I will not risk being eaten by animal or human to
surf alone, so it's off to to baja I go, and I better not see the likes of any of you there....(yea right..).
Back to my point, let's have a fundraiser at a place we couldn't protect, to raise money to save another place that's not even in our own country, and
while not perfect, could actually help the lives of the people who actually live there!
Where do I sign up!?!? |
[Edited on 5-13-2006 by gringorio]
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Sharksbaja
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Gringorio
damn ("exactly my thoughts Mr. Bill".) is not who I meant to address, it was Barrys' statement bout water..Also, it's silly waht they say bout the
trash cbecause there are many sites suitable for burial. Just need to dig a big hole.
I do feel a voice is necessary to slow or reign-in the massive growth happening. Some groups are serious players and in need I believe. But Mexico
can manage much development if they want to. It's always easier to take the cash and worry later(IF THAT EVER HAPPENS?)
i'll go back and fix that oopsy.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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capt. mike
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Follow the money....................and it will dictate what happens.
beyond that.......not much anyone can do about progress.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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When I first saw the secret surf break near Bahia Asuncion (where I now live) I immediately thought that someone should buy this chunk of land to
protect it and I spoke to some local surfers who surf there and planted the idea of getting together and purchasing the land around the break before
developers did....problem was none of has had 2 five pesos to rub together so now what? I like the idea of saving something by buying it and it's
really the only way to go. A pal of mine got lots of bear lovers together and bought out a trophy hunters grizzly bear territory to protect the bears
and it worked! (for that small area anyway). So you surfers who are bummed about Abreojos...maybe you should buy this land. It's a free for all around
here as the ejido is selling it all pretty cheap. So all of you who gripe about wild baja disappearing....make an investment and buy some land and
keep it wild!
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The Sculpin
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Ever hear of "The Ranch" - Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara, California? Talk about exclusivity......you get a bunch of surfers to own land, and you
either end up with no access, or a surf camp! Surfers are no diferrent than developers when it comes to putting up hard, cold cash for something.
Surfers aren't the problem, it's the affluence of the industrialized countries. You have a ton of older people, with a ton of cash, who have no
problem paying 10 or 15 times the local price fopr something because it's still damn cheap compared to where they're escaping from. The baby boom
generation (I are one) has and will use it's affluance to recreate the world in their image. It's a very different view of manifest destiny!
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tim40
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Shari I am sooooo with you. I have made that same comment several times on several threads. It is changing...and every rapidly. Buy and control is
your best (not full proof...even here in the US) chance to influence the future.
I recall when a certain piece of pristine Sea of Cortez frontage was for sale for 1M a few short years ago. Many were griping about how it could be
so and how wrong it was. I suggest coop of 200 shares to acquire...I realize many of us at times can't afford...but many can...this same land is now
not on the market and would be valued 5-10x the 1M. To be one of 200 hunderd to own that type of frontage....and responsible manage...that is
possible...but the clock is ticking...
When searching for the end of your rainbow you only have until dusk....
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surfer jim
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Capt. Mike got it right......
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Bruce R Leech
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I think you all have good points on this, but where are we going to get the 50 billion to buy the rest of Baja Ca.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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MrBillM
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Pessimists
I prefer to think of myself as a realist.
Funny thing, over the years most of the "pessimistic" views I have held have come to pass.
Wonder how this one will turn out ? Any betting ?
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bajabound2005
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| Quote: | | Quote: | Originally posted by gringorioThere's so many pessimits here... "That's Life" ?? Give me a break!
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What exactly is a "pessimits" --- is that Spanish for pessimist?
Aside from that - as non Mexican citizens, what can WE do to stop this?
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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tim40
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On this site alone we could come up with 15M IF we were interested without having to hoc our primary homes. If it sounds like Ripley's believe it or
not, just do the math. In some terms, reads like a lot of money....but even today, that will buy mucho prime turf in baja.....
When searching for the end of your rainbow you only have until dusk....
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woody with a view
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if you care to make your voice heard
send your views to the following:
rijuarez@semarnat.gob.mx
c.secretario@semarnat.gob.mx
cc: saul@wildcoast.net
it may not do any good, but every time you mention santa rosalillita maybe they will give some more thought to the future instead of just building
another unfunctional landmark/monstrosity.
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Bob H
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| Quote: | Originally posted by capt. mike
Follow the money....................and it will dictate what happens.
beyond that.......not much anyone can do about progress. |
Capt Mike, again you have hit the nail on the head!
Bob H
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Sharksbaja
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Nautical Ladder
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These projects are planned despite the fact that a similar marina at Santa Rosalillita is filed in with sand and will forever sit idle.
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What does this mean for the project?? I am confused. I thought the Nautica Escalera project was scaled down and still in the works. No?
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
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