ANALYSES & REPORTS
Oceano Dunes Comment Letter to State Parks & 1903-92 Historical Report | March 17, 2021
By Eva Ulz
This comment letter and historical report were submitted to California State Parks to call attention to the “potentially significant impacts of the PWP [Public Works Plan] on the historical and cultural legacy of the Dunes.” Such impacts had not been analyzed in the Draft EIR for the PWP. There are 44 signatories to the letter, which is accompanied by a 39-page report that speaks to the importance of protecting and preserving the Dunes as a natural and cultural resource. The report presents a detailed and illustrated cultural history of the Dunes and Dunites. Also notable is the comment letter’s reference to Visit SLO Cal’s interest in attracting cultural tourism and how “the County struggles to attract culturally motivated tourists.”
Economic Impact from Suspension of the Vehicular Use at the Oceano Dunes Area – January 2021
by Pratish Patel, PhD, Associate Professor, Finance Department, Cal Poly
This report analyzes the impact on the County’s economy of the suspension of recreational driving on the Oceano Dunes SVRA and Pismo State Beach. Prior survey-based studies claimed that recreational vehicular activity on the beach and in the Dunes is pivotal to the County’s economy. Survey-based studies indirectly measure the impact and suffer from selection bias. Using a Difference-in-Difference (DiD) approach, Dr. Patel claims that the suspension of recreational vehicular activity had a minimum impact on the local economy.
Peer Review of a 2017 Economic Impact Analysis of OHV Activity in the Oceano Dunes District, prepared for State Parks by SMG Consulting – October 12, 2020
by Philip King, PhD, Associate Professor Economics Department, San Francisco State University
Dr. King was retained by the California Coastal Commission to Dr. King to assess the validity of an economic analysis conducted by SMG Consulting, Inc. for State Parks. Dr. King found the sourcing of the data and methodology used in the SMG analysis to be flawed. His review also noted SMG’s triple-counting of visitor spending. Dr. King criticized the use of a survey-based approach for the study, stating that such an approach “has been roundly criticized in the economics profession for decades,” given its susceptibility to selection bias and its failure to evaluate the benefits and costs of trade-offs associated with OHV activity. Dr. King also cited SMG’s failure to follow “best practices” approved by the Institutional Reviews Board (IRB) as well as its failure to disclose the study’s underlying raw data.
Critique of a 2017 Economic Impact Analysis of OHV Activity in the Oceano Dunes District, prepared for State Parks by SMG Consulting – July 9, 2019
by Pratish Patel, PhD, Associate Professor, Finance Department, Cal Poly
The Oceano Beach Community Association (OBCA) requested this critique in light of questionable methods used and conclusions reached by SMG in its analysis. Dr. Patel’s critique highlighted the triple-counting of visitor spending, selection bias, a flawed methodology, failure to follow “best practices,” and lack of transparency in SMG’s/Park’s failure to afford access to the raw data underlying the study.