Surf Beach, the publicly accessible coastal access closest to Lompoc, will be closed until Oct. 1 after violations of beach restrictions put into place to protect a tiny shorebird reached the limit this week.
Vandenberg Air Force Base officials on Wednesday announced the complete closure of the beach, which is on military property.
Base beaches are home to the western snowy plover, which is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
One-half mile of Surf Beach has been open to the public under an agreement between the Air Force and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for western snowy plover nesting season, which runs from March 1 through Sept. 30.
Seasonal restrictions have been implemented for more than 14 years, and the 2015 closure marks the earliest closure in the season. The seasonal closures have occurred earlier each year, last year in late June and the previous year in July.
The Air Force said beach visitors this week accounted for seven violations, pushing the number above the allowed 50.
Violations include people entering the closed areas of the beach. Those who are cited for trespassing can be fined up to $5,000 in federal court, Air Force officials said.
Sections of Wall and Minuteman beaches are open to military members and people with base access. Limits for those beaches are 10 each, and so far haven’t been reached.
Air Force officials noted that as a federal agency, Vandenberg is required by the Endangered Species Act not only to stop the decline of federally listed species, but also to actively aid in the recovery of those species.
The military initially sought to close the beaches entirely, but Lompoc Valley residents fought hard for some beach access.
Air Force and Fish & Wildlife representatives came up with a plan to allow people access to the shoreline while protecting the small shorebird, which makes well-camouflaged nests in the sand to lay eggs.
People who violate the Endangered Species Act — crushing eggs or chicks, for example — can face fines up to $50,000 in federal court and imprisonment for up to one year, Air Force officials said.
Federal officials have said Vandenberg’s beaches account for approximately 20 percent of the western snowy plover’s populations.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.