Oswald West believed the that public should have free and unfettered access to Oregon's beaches. On February 13, 1913, Governor West signed landmark legislation that set aside Oregon’s beaches for public use:
“The shore of the Pacific Ocean, between ordinary high tide and extreme low tide, and from the Columbia River on the north to the Oregon and California State line on the south, is hereby declared a public highway and shall forever remain open as such to the public.”
While the beaches remain public land, access to them is often tricky or comes at a cost. Douglas County recently announced they will be charging for access at Winchester Bay, the only free and easily accessible beach access point in Douglas County and for 25 miles in either direction. Read their press release here.
Take action to keep this beach access free:
Friday 5/15 - Douglas County Park Advisory Board: Surfrider will be rallying to Roseburg to speak to the Park Advisory Board about the impacts of a day use fee at Winchester Bay Parking Lot #1, on 5/15 @ 9am. We want to pack the room, so if you are interested contact Ryan Cruse.
If you are unable to attend, please send your comments to:
Email: vmvandri@co.douglas.or.us - Attn: Park Advisory Board
Snail mail:
Parks Advisory Board
Douglas County
1036 SE Douglas Street Rm# 116
Roseburg, OR 97470
Sign our petition: HERE
This is an important and special place for beach goers, fisherman, ocean recreation users and tourists. A daily fee could present an economic hardship for local and traveling users alike looking to take their family to the beach, take their dog for a walk, go fishing, recreate in the ocean or simply to enjoy the beauty of the coast.
The Oregon Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation have been working to protect free beach access at this location for over 12 years. In 2003, we successfully advocated for free public access when the Army Corps of Engineers turned management of the land over to Douglas County Parks. In 2005, we again successfully advocated for Oregon State Parks retaining ownership of the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park land, a vital component to continued free public beach access.
In 2009, Surfrider conducted a recreational use study to help inform the decision making and gain a more comprehensive understanding of recreational use at Winchester Bay South Jetty in relation to a proposed wave energy project attached to the jetty. One key finding was that a decrease in recreational use would heavily impact area businesses - "If the visitation rate was cut in half by only the 30% of recreational users that indicated in this survey that they would visit less often if access was restricted and wave quality decreased, the local area would lose over $400,000 of local spending annually." The full project report can be downloaded here (scroll to bottom) - https://oregon.surfrider.org/about/
Not only would imposing an access fee provide a potential economic hardship for local users, but it could mean a significant reduction in revenues for local area business, where every dollar counts.
Surfrider is aiming to work proactively and collaboratively with Douglas County Parks on continuing to provide free and unfettered beach access at this location.
Ways To Get Involved
Sign our petition: HERE
Date TBD - Douglas County Park Advisory Board: Surfrider will be rallying to Roseburg to speak to the Park Advisory Board about the impacts of a day use fee at Winchester Bay Parking Lot #1. Date/Time TBD. We want to pack the room, so if you are interested contact Ryan Cruse.
If you are unable to attend, please send your comments to:
Email: vmvandri@co.douglas.or.us - Attn: Park Advisory Board
Snail mail:
Parks Advisory Board
Douglas County
1036 SE Douglas Street Rm# 116
Roseburg, OR 97470