About Scott Creek Beach
Federal Register/Vol. 77, No. 118 / Tuesday, June 19, 2012
This unit includes the mouths of Scott and Molino Creeks and is located about 13 mi (21 km) north of the City of Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz County. It extends about 0.7 mile north along the coast from the southern end of the sandy beach, 0.3 miles south of Molino Creek, to a point about 0.1 mile north of Scott Creek. Unit CA 18 encompasses approximately 15 acres of State land and 8 acres of local jurisdictional land. This unit was occupied at the time of listing and is currently occupied, and recent surveys have found up to 4 breeding Pacific Coast WSPs, while historical surveys (prior to 2004) have found up to 12 breeding plovers occupying the area (Service unpublished data). Unit CA 18 is an important wintering area, with up to 129 Pacific Coast WSPs recorded in a single season (Service unpublished data).
This unit is essential to the conservation of the species because, with proper management, and in conjunction with the other two relatively small units designated in Santa Cruz County (CA 17 and 19), it can attract additional breeding Pacific Coast WSPs and thereby facilitate interchange between the larger units at Half Moon Bay (CA 16). The unit includes the following habitat physical or biological features essential to the species: Areas of sandy beach above and below the high-tide line with occasional surf-cast wrack supporting small invertebrates and generally barren to sparsely vegetated terrain. The physical or biological features essential to the conservation of the species may require special management considerations or protection to address the main threats from nonnative vegetation, human disturbance, and predators. Control of nonnative vegetation and enforcement of existing human-use regulations are needed to ensure the suitability of the unit. Scott Creek Beach is unique to the north coast of Santa Cruz County because it is the only undeveloped beach immediately adjacent to Highway One. Although the beach is undeveloped, it is in public ownership and a public liability. The main beach is approximately 1⁄2 mile long (approximately 10.5 acres), bounded on the north by coastal cliffs and on the south by a large sand dune. The boundaries of this beach delineate one of the most striking viewsheds along Highway One in Santa Cruz County. Thousands of people travel Highway One daily. On weekends, holidays, and during the summer, hundreds are drawn by this majestic vista to stop and visit. In addition to coastal tourists, Scott Creek Beach is a particularly popular beach for active recreation enthusiasts, such as sail-boarders, surfers, hang gliders, and drivers of off-road recreational vehicles (such off-road recreational vehicle use is illegal). Despite turbulent water and windy conditions, Scott Creek Beach is heavily used on weekends and holidays with cars parking in all available shoulder areas. As a result of this heavy public use, traffic congestion and environmental degradation have become significant problems.
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