Oregon Beach closure Meetings

[stevew]

We need your help and support. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]
there are two meetings left to attend to stop this nonsense.
3/16/04 in pacific cityat the kiwanda senior center building 7-9 pm,
3/17/04 in Tillamook at the Shilo inn, 7-9pm.

The Oregon Parks Department plans on changing Oregon Beaches to:
NO Driving, NO Hores, NO camping, NO driftwood firewood collection, NO
campfires,
NO dogs, NO kites, NO bikes, NO RECREATIONAL GOLD MINING, No rock removal,
ban driftwood or beach fires, NO private fireworks will be allowed and to
discontinue issuing premits for driving on beaches that are closed to that use
for persons with disabilites, the elderly, to fish, to launch boats, ect.
Turning oregons beaches into day hike only!
the last day to respond is march 19th and then this plan goes into effet in
June 2004.

Show up at the meetings if you possible can.
Let your voise be heard! [img]graemlins/icon_argue.gif[/img] http://www.prd.state.or.us/osmp_hcp.php

email: osmp.hcp@state.or.us

Check it out: httpL//www.minersresponseteam.org/mrt%20page4c33.html

I have absolutely no problem with a ban on driving on the beach! I have never understood why people feel the need to do this
No kite flying though? Geez!!!

[ssteelheadsteve]

The feedback paage is not working at State Parks and the STAFF Link Stinks.Does anyone see a way to comment via the net ? Did I miss the link ?
Please contact me at my mail as well as here.

[Jimmy Carl Black]

I've seen virtually no news coverage on this. It's a pretty big local/state issue for us all don't you think?

[ 03-16-2004, 07:07 AM: Message edited by: Jimmy Carl Black ]

[Bonneville Dan]

To clear things up, first identify the money trail. Could be upper crust hotel, condo, or private landowners wanting "their own private beaches" greasing a few legislators. They're cheap dates, so it only takes a few squeaky wheels to chip away another right of ours. Yes, "right" per the late, great Tom McCall. These are OUR PUBLIC BEACHES, not private Californicated stretches accessible only to the special people. Access points are already hard enough to find without closing the few zones that allow vehicles. Olympia has attempted this many many times in Washington, and the locals in my area there fought it every time and won. Some of the legislators there had never even visited an area that allowed driving, but somehow dubbed themselves experts on the subject. Remote controls are better suited for TV's and VCR's.

No changes needed in my opinion.

[Flatfish]

What is the point in owning a dory if you cannot launch from the beach? Has the Pacific City crowd got wind of this?

Mark and the dog.

[letsfish]

Here is a map of the proposed areas:

http://www.prd.state.or.us/plovers-map.php
I could see a problem for people trying to clam if that Camp Rilea restricts cars getting to that area and beyond from the beach in late spring.
I think there may need to be some "fine" tuning that needs to be done. But concerns of the public are why they have these meetings so the policy can be tweeked.

[Tanner]

Stew,
You should look into the whole story. It's not just driving. Many of these areas will be almost completely restricted. All this because these areas might be future habitat of the Plover.

I got a really good recipe for Plover if anyone wants it.

[FishOrDie]

From what I have read and watched the parks department wants to shut down these prime sections of beach from Mar.-Sept. to pretty much all forms of recreation. There reasoning for doing this is to preserve the habitat for POTENTIAL nesting areas for the snowy plover. The birds are not even there, they never have been. Even the autobahn shows that the snowy plover nesting range only reaches as far north as the Florence area.

This just seems ridiculous to me. We have enough concerns with problems that already exist, why are they looking to make problems up where there are none.

But look at how the spotted owl gut punched an entire industry, the only place I have ever seen a spotted owl is in a 15 year old patch of re-prod.


FOD

[Bonneville Dan]

How about so they can find some razor clams? It's no skin off anybody's nose when someone decides they're willing to burn a gallon or two of gas to explore a beach where it's legal to drive. Spending my teen years on the Washington Coast didn't offer a whole lot of wintertime amusement, but hunting for Japanese glass floats, firewood, clams, surffishing sandbars, and so forth is well-facilitated with a vehicle or a dirt bike. The summer girls were a rare sight most of the year, so we had to find something to do. Cut off all the fun things for people to do doesn't leave a lot of wholesome choices remaining. Allowing people to cut the lethal rolling logs into firewood also serves a purpose. Ever see anybody lugging a cord of wood in a backpack?

[skein]

So...the spotted owl comes to the Oregon coast.

The first thing we need is a new Oregon Parks and Recreation director. Someone whose solution is NOT to LOCK US OUT of our public land. That is an appointed position and that person can be un-appointed as well.

When we take care of that little issue, the new director will probably be able to find a more creative solution to safeguarding the plover - and our rights!

Skein

[Slowpie]

It should also be noted that this management plan is dealing with 57 miles out of 230 miles of sandy beaches. Providing undisturbed nesting habitat for this threatened species includes not only existing occupied habitat, but potential nesting sites should the population increase to the point where they can expand their range. Let's see....who was here first, us or the plovers? Maybe we could share.

I'm talking about the people just cruising up and down the beach. I'm not talking about people launching their dories or clamming!

[MightyBeav]

Not to say that i dont want to read the whole thing, nut is there a readers digest version or something similar somewhere?

Mighty

[garyk]

I've been watching this topic and related posts develop here on Ifish, this will be my first and last post on this thread...

None of the proposals restrict people from accessing and walking on the wet sand beaches.

There are no 'lock outs'.

The over-heated rhetoric and often totally false "information" seems to be emanating from (big surprise here)AM talk radio, and pro-mining lobbying organizations like the link shown at the bottom of the first post.

As for vehicles speeding up and down beaches, threatening me and everyone else - can't get rid of 'em soon enough. God gave us feet, get out of your car and use 'em.

BTW, as a Tillamook County land owner I value and use the ocean and bay spit beaches - a lot. I prefer to see them undeveloped, un-mined, and not turned into alternative highways.

[Captain and Marie]

I saw a report by Grant Mcome on TV and he says its a very bad thing.

Beach closeures for the next 25 years if it goes thru.

Nothing anyone can say to me will change my mind on this issue.

This will affect EVERYONE including fishermen!

JUST SAY NO !

Cap Den and Marie Will

> READ THIS
> Did you know:
> There are currently talks of closing 57 miles of
> Oregon beaches to preserve a species of bird called
> the Western Snowy Plover. these will be closed from
> March -September and some year round for up to 25
> years!!!! This bird is more common in the South Coast
> of Oregon to Baja California. And has likely always
> been rare this far North.
> Here is the big problem, these beaches will be closed
> to walking, jogging, kyting, dogs and just about
> anything during the summer even though there is no
> proof that humans impact the WSP survival.
> It is proven that European beach grass, a non-native
> species brought in by the very government institution
> now trying to implement this new plan, along with
> development and other habitat alterations and of
> course PREDATION, is biggest hurdle these birds face.
>
> But in 1992 one year before ESA listed the Plover as
> endangered there were just 30 birds on the oregon
> coast now there are little over 100. Infact a Parks
> and recreation update stated that 2003 was the "most
> successful breeding seasons in a number of years"
> Oregon produced at least 59 fledglings, almost double
> the number in the past two years. Proof to me that
> their numbers are naturally on the incline.
> Also portions of Coos Bay County beaches have been
> closed since 1993 and their county Commisioners are
> currently filing Lawsuit against the Snowy Plover
> Critical Habitat Designation under the Endangered
> Species Act. their claim is that Coos County has had
> severe job losses and economic depression in many
> sectors of its industry as a result of the restraints
> on the economy because of the current implementation
> of the ESA beach closures.
> in regards to this case Seattle's Audubon Society
> printed an open letter to Coos County in which this
> was stated:
> "If successful, your county's suit will directly
> benefit two narrow interest groups (1) advocates of
> motorized access to West Coast beaches, and (2)
> developers who need Federal funds or permits to build
> on parcels of privately owned ocean front property."
> Neither I nor any parties equally enraged by the
> possible closures that I know of, fall under any of
> these 2 catagories. We simply want the use of our
> beaches for recreation which is our right under Oregon
> Law.
> It's interesting that predators account for 68% of
> nest losses while Human Impact account for just
> 2%.(Predecisional Enviromental Assessment, Predator
> Damage Management to Protect the Federally Threatened
> Pacific Coast Population of the WEstern Snowy Plover,
> Oregon, USDA Wildlife Services,2001) that 68% doesn't
> even include adult plovers or their chicks taken by
> predators. European beach grass control and predator
> control have proven very affective in increasing
> plover populations in California.
> It should also be noted that there is currently
> captive breeding programs being used in which
> Biologist "invade" the plover nest four or more times
> during nesting. they claim that not one nest has been
> lost to these activities. Yet they want the public to
> believe that walking 185 feet from the nest is the
> cause of a depleted plover population (laughable also
> because the population is shown to be on the rise)
> So why are we being told that we can't enjoy our
> beaches!!!!!!!!!!!
> Let the government know you will not stand for any
> more useless spending or unnecessary beach closures.
> let them know you want them to try more reasonable
> solutions.
> contact:
> OSMP.HCP@state.or.us
>
> oregon@gsmith.senate.gov
>
> senator@wyden.senate.gov
>
> darlene@mail.house.gov
>
> __________________________________

[ 03-16-2004, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Captain and Marie ]

[skein]

Marie - [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Skein

[Captain and Marie]

Skein,

Thank you for your support.

I truly hope that we get more support on this issue tonight.

Are there others out there who think like me on this issue.

JUST SAY NO TO BEACH CLOSURES!

This will affect EVERYONE including fishermen!


Thank you,

Marie
"I moved here to be able to walk on the Oregon Beaches, anytime, anywhere. How about you?

[ 03-16-2004, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Captain and Marie ]

[stevew]

Thanks Marie I think you said it all. There are lots of us that enjoy the beaches and the freedoms that we have. Thesa beaches are public land or have been for quite some time that is what makes them so special to us. It's not only someone trying to take this away but the impact to some of these small coastal towns could be devistating. Some one mentioned that it was some minning group that is causing the stir. How many of you even new this was in the works for the past couple of years? I didn't until a friend of mine brought it up. YEP he's a prospector and had an interest in doing some prospecting on the beaches. It was him and another friend that contacted KATU and got the story going. The OSPD had just about finished up with all of their meetings before this story broke. A lot of people in Pacific City had not heard about the meetings until the day this story was taped, they are a lot of P.O'd people down there and I don't blame them tourisim means a lot to them. How many of you had even heard about it. For a gov agency that was suppose to be encouraging tourism they sure stink! And to try to do this in such a hush hush way shouldn't be allowed.

Hope to make it to the Tillamook meeting

Stevew

[Jerry Dove]

As a former Tillamook County Commissioner and still very active in the community, I knew nothing about this untill Grant McComie called and asked my thoughts on it. Trust me we are and will continue to fight this to the end. Very little press on it untill just a few weeks ago. See you all at the meeting Wed. night. Jerry

[Joe]

Stew, The same people that have been launching dories "for many years" have been driving to the mouth of the river "for many years". So why is it OK to shut them down now?

This is BS!! There is not even any Snowy Plover habitat down there.

No problem with people launching from the beach at all.After all they have been doing it at Pacific City for many years. What I have the beef with is those that feel the need to drive their vehicles up and down the beach just because they can.

[Jerry Dove]

The meeting has been moved again.. Me thinks they now figgure a lot people know about it and need a bigger room. It is now at Tillamook High School. 2605 12th street. See ya there. Jerry

[stevew]

Yesterday evening an amazing thing happened. The Kiwana Senior center in Pacific City was packed beyond fire limit rules! It all started because 1 miner decided to call and inform the media of the potential disasters. Then Others came in response... one person contacted this person.. then this person.. then People gathered to protest.
This was an example last night of how when you include the others (and i know its been tried before and been given up on too quickly or not tried at the right way) like ATV riders, hunters... fishers... townspeople. It will make a big difference.
The snowy Plover is looking kinda roasted right now with the support that was gathered last night. I can only hope that tonight in Tillamook it will be better. This is one of the many ways they try to avoid democracy with their different methods.. and its coming to bite them in the arse. The ladies responsible for the movements of this are frustrated now. With only the showing of 5-7 people at one meeting and few at the others.. this crowd of well over 300+ really knocked their plans for a loop. The fight is still on!

[stevew]

Here are some links so that you can view what happened at the two meetings this week!

Tillamook meeting
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=65534

Pacific City
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=65491