Ocean Shore Management Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ocean Shore Management Plan Oregon Parks and Recreation Department January 2005 Ocean Shore Management Plan Oregon Parks and Recreation Department January 2005 Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Planning Section 725 Summer Street NE Suite C Salem Oregon 97301 Kathy Schutt: Project Manager Contributions by OPRD staff: Michelle Michaud Terry Bergerson Nancy Niedernhofer Jean Thompson Robert Smith Steve Williams Tammy Baumann Coastal Area and Park Managers Table of Contents Planning for Oregon’s Ocean Shore: Executive Summary .......................................................................... 1 Chapter One Introduction.................................................................................................................. 9 Chapter Two Ocean Shore Management Goals.............................................................................19 Chapter Three Balancing the Demands: Natural Resource Management .......................................23 Chapter Four Balancing the Demands: Cultural/Historic Resource Management .........................29 Chapter Five Balancing the Demands: Scenic Resource Management.........................................33 Chapter Six Balancing the Demands: Recreational Use and Management .................................39 Chapter Seven Beach Access............................................................................................................57 Chapter Eight Beach Safety .............................................................................................................71 Chapter Nine Working with the Neighbors ......................................................................................77 Chapter Ten Obtaining Permits & Clarifying the Programs............................................................79 APPENDICES Appendix A: Natural Resource Management.............................................................................................91 Appendix B: Cultural Resource Management ..........................................................................................125 Appendix C: Recreation on the Ocean Shore ..........................................................................................129 Appendix D: The Permitting Programs.....................................................................................................151 Appendix E: Recommended Actions by Location ....................................................................................165 Appendix F: Land Conservation Summary...............................................................................................179 Appendix G: The Planning Community ....................................................................................................183 Appendix H: Advisory Committee Membership........................................................................................185 Appendix I: Record of Public Involvement................................................................................................187 OCEAN SHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN i OCEAN SHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN ii Planning for Oregon’s Ocean Shore Executive Summary Introduction Oregon’s beaches are a popular place for recreation, and are home to unique plant and animal species and their habitats. The beaches have a long history of human use, and are still some of the most scenic places in America. They neighbor growing communities, burgeoning tourism developments and undeveloped, protected public lands. Public use of Oregon’s beaches is growing, while open-sand habitats continue to shrink, due to development, and the spread of invasive plants such as European beachgrass. Purpose Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has key management responsibility for Oregon’s beaches, set in statute and rule. This Ocean Shore Management Plan is the first comprehensive review of those responsibilities, their related issues and the effects of management decisions past, present and future. The purpose of the plan is to guide future decision-making by the department and Commission. Scope The plan encompasses the following: • Defines the goals and objectives for managing the ocean shores; • Defines a vision for the future of Oregon’s ocean shores • Makes recommendations for achieving that vision This plan was written with a companion plan entitled the Habitat Conservation Plan for the Western Snowy Plover (HCP). The HCP provides overriding direction for plover recovery in special places called “snowy Plover Management Areas” along the coast. Ocean Shore Management Goals 1. Strike a balance between recreation and protecting resources According to law, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department must manage the natural, scenic and cultural resources of Oregon’s beaches, yet must simultaneously offer recreational sites and experiences on the same beaches. This inherent contradiction calls for a balancing act between two equally important objectives. Simply speaking, balancing those two principles defines Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s mission for all its properties, not just the ocean shores. This plan makes specific recommendations for achieving that balance overall, by factoring in regional needs, protecting important resources from human-caused impacts, plans for judicious growth, and analysis of beach use patterns. 2. Provide for the public’s enjoyment and understanding of the beaches Enjoyment of the beaches is predicated on safe, knowledgeable and conflict-free experiences. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s role is to ensure that can happen. Recommendations arising from this principle encompass interpretation, obtaining permits, beach safety education and beach access. OCEAN SHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN 1 3. Collaborate with both local communities and beachgoers at large Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s management of the beaches depends on synthesizing the myriad of issues, users and jurisdictions that have a stake in the beaches. This includes local community issues, the local and state economy, federal and other state governmental authorities and plans, environmental issues and more. Ocean Shore Management Plan recommendations spell out ways to achieve consensus or mitigate differences among competing interests. A Vision for the Future of the Ocean Shore Broadly speaking, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department sees the future Ocean Shore as a place where: • Pristine beach environments are protected from degradation; • Critically needed habitats are restored and maintained; • Managers can respond nimbly to changes in conditions; • Most remote areas can retain their sense of remoteness; • Important historic and prehistoric resources are protected as much as is feasible; • A full range of recreation opportunities exist in each coastal region; • Different recreational activities can occur without conflict; • The number of public beach accesses does not drop, but may increase where appropriate to resource protection; • Adequate, appropriate access exists for recreation, emergencies, evacuation and for people with special needs or limitations; • Beach use is harmonious with neighboring uses and vice versa, especially related to noise, scenery and annoying or potentially dangerous activities; • Interpretive opportunities are available coast-wide; • Permits for special use or alteration of the beach balance human needs with resource protection, and are consistent with state rules; • The process of obtaining permits is easy to use and understandable; • A cohesive partnership of agencies works together to manage the resources and public use of the beaches; and • The public’s safety is adequately provided for. Balancing the Demands: Natural, Cultural and Scenic Resource Management Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s management of natural, cultural and scenic resources usually occurs one of three ways: directly by projects on park lands; indirectly by issuing permits for projects on other Ocean Shore lands, and by working with other agencies and jurisdictions to protect important beach resources. The plan summarizes beach resources, relates their importance to the ecological health, cultural history and scenic enjoyment of the beach and makes recommendations. Natural Resources: Habitat degradation and human disturbance are two large challenges facing wildlife and plant species on the Ocean Shore. Other constraints include insufficient food (prey), increasing numbers of predators, and adverse weather and water. OCEAN SHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2 Natural Resource Management Recommendations Summary: 1. Implement the Habitat Conservation Plan for Western Snowy Plover. This plan sets the stage for assisting the snowy plover that depend on the open sandy habitat. 2. Increase public awareness about how to avoid disturbance of shorebirds, marine mammals and seabirds, in general. This can include interpretive programs, docents, outreach to schools and special events, trails, and viewing platforms. 3. Work with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in completing a shorebird management plan for the Ocean Shore. 4. Work with research groups, resource agencies and volunteers to protect plant species known to occur in the open sand habitats, especially on Oregon Parks and Recreation Department lands. 5. Continue to pursue the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, for related coastal watercourses on Oregon Parks and Recreation Department lands. 6. Continue to remove invasive species, such as Scots broom, European beachgrass gorse and other invasive species on Oregon