A beach at the southernmost point of the San Onofre State Beach in an area known by surfers unofficially as “Trail 7” or “Nude Beach,” has long been the haven for naturalists seeking sun, surf and freedom. But thanks to a ruling by a panel of justices at the 4th District Court of Appeal, those “naturalists” can no longer prance about unencumbered by clothing. The panel ruled last Thursday that an unofficial policy drafted 20 years ago called the Cahill Policy was invalid and therefore “clothing optional” would no longer be tolerated at the beach.
The ruling overturns an Orange County Superior Court judge’s decision in August 2008 in which the Cahill Policy allowing clothing optional bathing (written in 1979 by former Director of California Department of Parks and Recreation Russell W. Cahill) was found to be valid. At that time, State Parks officials had hoped to shut down the nude bathing, but judge Sheila Fell’s decision found that park officials improperly imposed a ban without first gaining public input. Park officials at the time said that they were acting on increasing complaints about the nudity at the beach. Trail 6 at the popular camping grounds has the largest parking lot and therefore the most human traffic, and is popular with families, surfers and dog owners who are allowed to keep dogs on leash.
Allen Baylis, a lawyer who also is on the board of the Naturist Action Committee and President of the Friends of San Onfore Beach—an organization that was formed in 1995, wrote in May 21, 2008 that “Friends of San Onofre Beach has always promoted adherence to standard clothing optional beach etiquette and denounced the lewd conduct on the beach.” His letter was in direct response to charges by Sector Superintendent Rich Haydon, who told Baylis that the justification for Haydon’s desire to revoke the Cahill Policy was due to an “escalating” number of incidents of lewd conduct.
Baylis told the Orange County Register that the Naturist Action Committee likely will appeal to the California Supreme Court.
www.friendsofsanonofre.org
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