UPDATE, 2:57 p.m.: In an address this afternoon, Gov. Newsom announced that he would close only a few beaches in southern California.

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Del Norte County's sheriff says he will not enforce California Gov. Gavin Newsom's order to shut down state parks and beaches.

The shut down will take effect on Friday and is in response to crowded beaches in Southern California last weekend. However, Del Norte County Sheriff Erik Apperson said in a Facebook post Thursday he disagreed with the "one-size fits-all" response:

Residents of Del Norte County,

After the well-publicized media coverage of over crowded southern California beaches this past weekend, in violation of Governor Newsom's Shelter in Place Order, the Governor has made clear his intention to shut down all California beaches and state parks, effective May 1st.

This one size fits all response does not serve the people of Del Norte County. My job as Sheriff is to do just that. With a population of less than 30,000 people in the entire county, Del Norte accounts for about 1,200 square miles of land and nearly 40 miles of coastline.

Now, I understand what state we are in and often we must be aligned in our response to large scale challenges. That said, I will not participate in limiting the movement and freedoms of Del Norte County residents as a reaction to behavior by those well outside of Del Norte County. We are already sacrificing more than our share and frankly we are exemplary in our efforts as a community. Beaches and outdoor recreation are essential aspects of our daily lives here and critical to our mental/physical well being.

Let me also be clear that this is not an invitation for people that have such limitations being imposed on them to come visit Del Norte County. We are committed to the safety and well being of our families and I am not interested in people visiting here that do not share that priority. If your decision to take a tour of Del Norte County results in our local residents being less safe then you are not welcome here, COVID-19 or not.

As for us, we are for the most part practicing social distancing. Many of our businesses are taking a tremendous hit financially for the greater good. We are listening to our outstanding Public Health Officer and we deeply value his guidance. The vast majority of us are wearing masks and large numbers of us are working from home. Some of us aren't able to work at all. We are leveraging our local economy for the sake of a healthy community. So far, health-wise, we have not been greatly impacted by COVID-19. We hope that continues but we are also constantly preparing for a worst case scenario. Our local leaders are talking and we may not always agree with one another but we are all putting Del Norte first. We are taking steps to move forward while preserving what we cherish.

We know what it's like to be forgotten, overlooked and marginalized when it comes to decisions made by our state government. The byproduct has resulted in conditioning to be resilient and somewhat independent over our nearly two centuries of existence as a county. We are located on the extreme northwest tip of California. Make no mistake, we are in California, but we are also in Del Norte County.

I will remain vigilant and focused on the Constitutional freedoms, behavior and well being of people within Del Norte County, while continuing to support California the best I can. As Sheriff, I will not punish the good people of Del Norte for the actions of those outside of my county.

To my fellow residents; please continue to be an example to the rest of the state. Let's work together while sharing a common goal of what's best for our residents.

I am Del Norte proud and honored to be your Sheriff.

Admirably,

Sheriff Apperson

Newsom is expected to make his announcement closing state beaches and parks today.

This announcement comes after Del Norte County Administrative Officer Jay Sarina told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that a request to exempt county residents from a soft closure of local state park units was denied.

Supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to send a letter with that request to the governor's office.

The county last week also reopened Walker Road, which leads into Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, though the parking area is still roped off.

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