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Description

This report presents the findings of a 42-question survey conducted by Loyola Marymount University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from June 2023-May 2024 among visitors and local residents regarding their perceptions and experiences at California’s Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). The survey aimed to gather insights into visitor and community demographics, frequency and types of use, barriers to use, environmental awareness and perceptions of use, and familiarity with park opportunities. In particular, we sought to seek responses from communities local to the parks, especially from the community of Oceano itself, and Latino and Hispanic community members. In previous survey efforts, some of these groups felt left out of the process.

The methods included non-random, purposive sampling of individuals in targeted park and community locations. We attempted to be as inclusive as possible, with surveys taking place in 55 identified locations in the Oceano Dunes District parks and surrounding communities, and with survey teams including at least one fluent Spanish speaker. In all, we gathered 1,233 surveys, with 70% of those collected in communities surrounding the parks and the remainder gathered in locations within the parks. Key findings included:

  • The demographics of the respondents were reflective of the survey approach, with approximately three-quarters of respondents residing in communities near the parks of Oceano Dunes, a purposive oversampling of both Oceano residents and Latino and Hispanic respondents, and one-quarter of respondents speaking Spanish at home.
  • A high percentage (84.5%) of respondents think that OHV use is appropriate for the Oceano Dunes District, though there was a spectrum of those choosing that OHV use is appropriate in all cases (25.7%), under current regulations (35.7%), or with stricter regulations (23.0%). Similarly, analysis of the open-ended question asking for respondents’ views on the mixed uses of the Oceano Dunes District showed that most respondents were generally for the mixed uses of the area. These findings were particularly notable given that only 54.9% of respondents reported using a vehicle to tour the parks.
  • Most (85.5%) respondents use a vehicle to get to the parks, with 30.4% of those arriving by vehicle also parking those vehicles on the beach. 14.1% arrive at the park by walking or biking.
  • Over half of people surveyed (54.9%) sometimes or always use a vehicle to tour the park, but only 20.6% of respondents identified “ATV, Buggy, or Hummer riding” as an activity they do in the parks. Notably, ATV (all-terrain vehicle) recreation had a varying frequency of response across income groups, with proportionally fewer lower-income respondents identifying this as an activity they do in the park.
  • The top five activities respondents reported doing in the parks included: “walk, hike, run or jog trails” (85.0%), “enjoy nature” (73.7%), “bring kids to play” (49.6%), bring dogs to play (43.4%) and “BBQ, picnic, or bonfire social gathering” (42.9%). These activities were the top five reported when looking at the responses by demographic groups as well, although the proportion of both Oceano residents and Latino or Hispanic respondents choosing “bring kids to play” (57% for each group) was higher than the population as a whole.
  • Nearly one-third of respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that they avoid certain areas of the parks. The most chosen reasons for avoiding areas were “too crowded” (53.6%) and “unsafe” (50.5%). Further research and outreach would be needed to define safety in this context.
  • While the trends were similar, fewer Latino or Hispanic respondents (27.2%) agreed with avoiding areas of the park as compared to respondents that were not Latino or Hispanic. Follow-up statistical tests supported this finding. When asked whether there were other activities they would like to do in the park, 18.5% of respondents said “yes,” identifying the top reasons for not participating in certain activities as “not having the necessary equipment” (34.2%), “other” (23.8%), “safety concerns” (19.2%), and “too crowded” (17.6%).
  • The majority of all respondents across groups agreed that the recreational activities undertaken by pedestrians and OHV users have an impact on the coastal environment, yet there were large numbers of respondents who disagreed (28.6% for pedestrian use and 22.9% for OHV use), or were neutral (17.4% for pedestrian use and 14.7% for OHV use) about these impacts. While trends were similar across groups, Latino or Hispanic respondents were less likely than respondents that were not Latino or Hispanic to agree that OHV activities directly impact the health of coastal environments. Statistical analysis supported this finding. Further research and outreach would be needed to define impact in this context.
  • When asked their familiarity with certain opportunities in the parks, just over one-quarter of respondents were interested in volunteering in park-related activities, and a similar percentage of those who live locally to the parks were aware of job opportunities. There were 37.4% of visitors to the parks reporting that they had been to the Oceano Dunes Visitor Center.

Overall, the survey outreach approach was successful in reaching communities. The survey results suggest that a varied community of users are passionate about the park resources and generally concerned about its future. However, there were wide-ranging attitudes and knowledge on a number of key topics, and some areas that will require additional assessment to fully understand. We present the following recommendations for next steps:

  1. Conduct further research with local communities to better understand their perspectives, priorities, and concerns.

  2. Engage with the community to increase knowledge and promote existing recreational opportunities.

  3. Expand education around the impacts of both pedestrian and OHV activities.

  4. Explore new frameworks to improve two-way communication between the community and management.

Publication Date

12-2024

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences

Oceano Dunes Community Survey Results

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