Ormond Ordinance

How we banned dogs on a popular recreational beach

Bruce Schoppe and Cynthia HartleyVentura Audubon

A Threatened Ecosystem

Globose dune beetle

Legless lizard

Sandy beach tiger beetle

Long billed curlew

south coast garter snake

Short Billed Dowitcher

Saltmarsh flicker

whimbrel

By Callie Bowdish

So Cal saltmarsh shrew

By Sharol Nelson-Embry

Marbled Godwit

Ormond Beach• Boundary between urban/ag/wetlands (restoration in progress)• Global important bird area (IBA)• Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA), designated snowy plover critical habitat

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Activities Prohibited by the Ordinance (i.e. not for dogs only)

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• Bring, walk or ride ANY domesticated animal

• Release of non-domesticated or exotic animals

• Entering or interfering with any protected habitat area

• Alteration or removal of any sand dune, plant or vegetation

• Camping and fires

• Operation of any motorized vehicle: airplanes, helicopters, cars and drones

• Flying of kites, kite boards, or gliders

Ormond is also a public beach…these things regularly give us heartburn at Ormond Beach

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Who do we call for help?

Not me

One of these guys

Him

2 Cities, 3 Land Owners and a Multitude of Enforcement Entities …confusion over regulations & jurisdiction,

FURTHER confounded by a severe lack of resources

Timeline & Effort : Ordinance Approval

Initiating EventSheriff’s Posse Beach Ride

31 riders

Oxnard City Mayor Pro-Tem

Carmen Ramirez

AudubonCA Coastal ConservancyUSFWSCity AttorneyMayor Pro-TemParks and Recreation

Email AVALANCHE!

USFWSCDFW

AudubonCity Officials

County Supervisor Cathy LongSheriff’s office

Dream Ordinance wish-list

VAS

Lawyers Write Ordinance

Literature references

VAS

VAStestifies

September 2015

Parks and

Recreation CommissionPassed 5-0

Oxnard City

CouncilMeeting IPassed 4-1

Oxnard City

CouncilMeeting 2

VAS (4)and many

other speakers

VAS (1)speaker

LOBBYING• Letters of support:

VAS, USFWS, SCCAudubon CA

• Email Blast• CA Audubon Action Alert• Social Media• Email City Council members

MORE LOBBYING• Op/Ed Article• Emails• Phone calls• Social media

Passed4-1

Sept 20th

VASPublic

presentation “Shorebird

Conservation at Ormond”

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October November March May JuneJanuary 2016

Public meeting Public meeting Public meetingStakeholders Meeting

Still not done! Outreach critical for successAND built a strong partnership with City of Oxnard

EnforcementPlanning Meeting IVAS/Oxnard City staff

OUTREACH CAMPAIGN• Volunteers greet public on weekends• Walter Fuller - week day outreach• Pass out flyers• Talk to dog owners• “Plover Pals” for kids• Restoration plan outreach• Social media• Newspaper article• Audubon CA blogpost (Arianna)

Ordinance In

Effect

Sign and FlyerPlanning

MeetingVAS/Oxnard City staff

EnforcementPlanning

Meeting 2&

Volunteer Training

CREATE MATERIALS• Dog Parks of Ventura County• Dog Brochure• Flyer about ordinance• Signs

RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS:• VAS email blast• Social media• Reach out to partners

Ordinance Passed

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7/7/16June August SeptemberJuly6/7/16

Critical Components to Passing This Ordinance

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1. Advocate on City Council, City Staff Support

2. Site Specific Data:

o 13 years of nesting data & disturbance observations

o Detailed visitor metrics (Walter Fuller – full time beach docent)

o Status as a special wildlife area (IBA/ESHA/Critical Habitat + restoration plans)

3. Scientific literature

4. Good lawyers

5. Favorable Public Opinion

o Strong public/agency/land owner support

o Lack of strong opposition

6. Supportive City Council (majority)

Many Pulled Together to Make This Work

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Steward of Ormond BeachWalter Fuller

Ventura Audubon SpeakersDebra BarringerAlexis FrangisCynthia HartleyBruce SchoppeJim Susha

Letter WritersCA Coastal ConservancyUSFWSCalifornia AudubonVentura Audubon

Oxnard City StaffGreg Barnes*Jefferson Billingsley (City Attorney)Edward BermudezRoger BrooksBen CosselDelana GbenekamaAshley GoldenArt GutierrezRobert HearneJohn HillTrish HonigsbergEric HumelBadaoui MouderresDaniel RydbergJames VegaScott WhitneyRaymond WilliamsBarbara WulfDean YamamotoDiego Zabala

Advocate on Oxnard City Council*Carmen Ramirez

Oxnard City MayorTimothy Flynn

Ormond VolunteersPatricia AkinsTanya AtwaterAmanda FaganAlexis FrangisCynthia HartleyEric HumelVince KinschKaren KrausMichael MayerMelissa MoserKen OwenBruce SchoppeJoyce SchoppeHeather ShieldsJan SushaJim Susha

Partnership OrganizationsCAUSEOxnard City CorpsSanta Barbara AudubonSaviers Road Design TeamSierra Club

City of Oxnard Ormond Coordinator*Karen Kraus (Attorney)

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Questions?