Is hunting allowed at Bolsa Chica?
No. Firearms are prohibited. Are there any others rules for visitors? Visitors must stay on designated trails at all times, not litter and not disturb or remove any plant or animal. When did the state acquire the public portion? It actually occurred over many years. The first acquisition was in 1973 when the land owner, Signal Oil and Gas Company, deeded 328 acres to the state in a settlement over tidelands ownership. In 1997 the state purchased 880 acres from Signals development arm, Kohl Company, then about 140 acres in 2005. Why was it necessary to restore the wetland? The wetland had been an oil field since 1940. While it had remnants of a coastal wetland, a few stands of pickleweed and other plants typical of such a habitat, it could not function fully as it stood. Raised maintenance roads and well pads that would prevent good circulation of tidal flow had to be leveled and there were pockets of toxic contamination that had to be removed to protect future wildlife. Most importantl
