Our Waiting Paid Off!

The Secretary of Commerce announced the rescheduled public hearing will take place on September 22 at O'Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM. The hearing location is perfect, since this is where the Coastal Commission heard the facts from both sides and voted 8-2 against the toll road. Also the Park and Trestles beach are in San Diego County, so it's ideal to hold the hearing where the project will have the worst impacts.

The hearing is open to all members of the public, and anyone wishing to provide oral testimony at the hearing must submit a written request via US mail or commercial carrier to NOAA no later than September 12, 2008. Neither requests after this date nor requests submitted by fax, email or voicemail will be considered. In the request, please include full name, address and a statement that the testimony will be provided on behalf of the individual, (see below for example of what to mail to the Secretary) .

It's critical that you register to speak and attend the hearing to show your strong opposition to the toll road. As we saw with the Coastal Commission, decision makers take notice and weigh their decision more carefully when thousands of people attend a public hearing. It's imperative that Save Trestles supporters, from near and far, are present to ensure the Commission's decision is upheld.

We will be sending out more concrete details as they come, but in the meantime, please mail your request to speak immediately. As always, you can still attend a public hearing even if you do not speak. But the more people we having testifying on behalf of Trestles and San Onofre, the greater chance we have of finally winning this battle! Please be sure to carefully review the rules and procedures for the hearing here: www.surfrider.org/savetrestles/files/Hearing_FAQs.pdf

Please Include the Following, and Physically Mail To:

Thomas Street, NOAA Office of General Counsel for Ocean Services
1305 East-West Highway, Room 6111
Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Please note, all mail must be received no later than September 12, 2008

In Your Letter Say:

Dear Mr. Street,

I wish to speak at the public hearing on September 22 in Del Mar, CA. I will be speaking as an individual, not representing an organization.

Thank you.

Name:

Address:

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Looking for More Volunteer Opportunities?

As we did throughout the month of August, we will be in the community raising awareness about the hearing (via street corner demonstrations, community events, etc) And we'll be down at Boost Mobil surf contest. This is the "contest of all contests" and it's at Trestles beach! If you haven't volunteered for this event, it's a must! This is your chance to educate people about the Save Trestles campaign, and check out professional surfers from around the world compete. Below are dates and shifts…please indicate what shift you would like (first come, first served). RVSP your spot by emailing savetrestles@surfrider.org with the subject line: Boost

Thursday, September 11
• 9am-12pm
• 12pm-3pm

Friday, September 12
• 9am-12pm
• 12pm-3pm

Saturday, September 13
• 9am-12pm
• 12pm-3pm

Thanks for your support and see you on Sept 22! **Please note the official press release from Surfrider Foundation is forthcoming. Please do not post this content as an official press release.