Hi everyone! Elsa Tamayo here, CSUMB student and intern at Nonprofit Connection Santa Cruz County. I recently read a great article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel by Tracey Weiss of NPC Member O’Neill Sea Odyssey for Our Ocean Backyard | Making waves: Santa Cruz expands equitable beach access, about the city’s updated Beach Management Plan, and I had to share why it matters.
For so many of us, the beach is a place to relax, recharge, and connect. But not everyone has had the same access to our beautiful coastline, especially communities that have been historically excluded. That’s starting to change.
Santa Cruz’s updated plan makes it easier for nonprofit and tribal groups to use city beaches without extra permits, as long as their activities are open and inclusive, just like for the general public. This helps groups like Black Surf Santa Cruz, a local nonprofit that’s creating joyful, healing spaces at the beach for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Their work is incredible, and this policy shift means fewer barriers and more access for everyone.
The plan also supports physical access. In 2024, Cowell Beach became the first ADA-accessible beach in the county thanks to Mobi-mats and a new ramp. These changes may seem small, but they make a huge difference for people with disabilities.
I’m proud to live in a community that’s thinking about equity in real, meaningful ways. From updated permitting to grants for nonprofits, this is a big step toward making the beach a place for everyone.
Let’s keep pushing for change that includes all voices — in and out of the water. ️