On February 5, the National Park Service hosted a public meeting on the topic of fires on Ocean Beach. There were 81 people in attendance and there was productive dialogue among attendees and NPS staff. Thank you to Supervisor Eric Mar and all who were present and contributed to a successful evening.
The NPS presentation as well as a transcription of all the notes written on the easel charts can be found on the project website. Discussion was wide-ranging, but there were some clear themes.
We heard support for continuing beach fires, a willingness to consider a permit system tempered by concern that it not become too complicated or too costly, a broader understanding of the challenges of enforcing rules and cleaning up after fires, and some understanding of the value of a period of winter closure to coincide with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Winter Spare the Air Season and to give the beach a break.
Next Steps
For the upcoming spring/summer season fires will be allowed at Ocean Beach while we continue to work out the details of the future program. All current rules will still be in effect: go.nps.gov/beachfires
The park is currently examining the following topics for the future program:
- Permit system — We are pursuing the implementation of a permit system using Reserve America, an online reservation system that is used effectively by many federal agencies. There are various details still to be determined, however, our objective is to ensure this activity remains as affordable as possible while also assisting NPS in being able to provide a sustainable, quality visitor experience.
- Seasonal closure — NPS is considering a winter rest period during Winter Spare the Air Season, which is defined by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as November through February. Click here to download more information on this topic.
- New signage and fire rings — We are exploring the option of installing sturdy, steel framed signage on the beach, that includes the beach fire rules, located between the promenade and the fire rings. Additionally, because the current fire rings are not holding up to the heavy use and harsh beach environment we are looking to acquire sturdy, long-lasting custom built rings. However, these improvements are largely contingent on funding availability.
- City partnership — NPS is hopeful that we can enter into a partnership with the City of San Francisco that will allow the City to assist us with the high level of maintenance needs in the area where fires occur.
A public meeting will be scheduled in the late summer this year to share the additional information gathered on the topics listed above.
All NPS updates can be found on the project website: parkplanning.nps.gov/oceanbeachfires
In the early days, the bluffs around the Gate bristled with cannons. Later, when ships could travel much faster out of the range of the cannons, more powerful guns were installed, some with ammunition weighing up to 1000 pounds. We were given a special tour inside Battery Godfrey where the Park Service has resuscitated the pulleys the raised these enormous "bullets" and restored the exterior and interior to its historical past. Volunteer and author