Free Access To California Coastline Essay Sample

The frustrations surrounding the access to the sandy beaches along the California shores had become a big issue to many beachgoers. The experience of locked gates or privately preserved areas became a major hindrance to public access to the beach. It is within the rights of every person to enjoy public facilities without any impediment. However, there has been a growing trend of private owners demarcating the beach areas with fences or restrictive access to the detriment of the public. There had been deliberate attempts by the affluent property owners along the coast to frustrate the public and deny them free access to the coastal areas by providing unnecessary obstacles. Due to their immense economic strength, they engaged the local authorities in constant legal battles that dragged along for years before they are concluded. Several access routes to the coastal areas were subject of phony signs and numerous illegal obstacles meant to blackmail the innocent beachgoers and stop them from quickly gaining access to the public beaches which rightfully belongs to them. Previous interventions by the Coastal Commission were only limited to litigations. However, the legislation to fine anybody found culpable to the deliberate blocking of access to the beaches offered a shy of relief to those who had become increasingly frustrated by many barriers to public beaches. The legislation giving the authorities powers to penalize violators apparently acts as a deterrent factor to many potential offenders. Having come from a backlog of legal suits regarding impediments to public beach access, the State now has the legal instrument to thwart the once trendy behavior. The fear of directly incurring financial losses has worked tremendously for the Coastal Commission. Many serial offenders who previously enjoyed delayed justice to carry out illegal blockings have eventually been put in their rightful place. Beachfront residents have for a long time frustrated the public, but the new regulation asserts that the coastline belongs to the public thus giving the right to unlimited access.