Shoreline Articles

Silvery (or sand dune) Phacelia.

Threatened Shoreline Plants Need Protection

phacelia_sand_dune_oregon_wild.jpg Efforts to protect certain threatened or endangered species of the coastal region are well known. Gray whales and Bald eagles have, happily, thrived enough thanks to conservation efforts that they are no longer listed. Oregon Shores has supported the work that has gone into recovering the population of beach-...Read more
Drone advisory committee on the beach.

Public Comment Period on Drone Use Underway

drone_workgroup_aerial_kenju_sugahara.jpg The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) has been at work on a plan for managing drone use in state parks and on the Oregon shore for well over a year. Based on concepts developed by an advisory working group (on which Oregon Shores was represented), OPRD staff is drafting maps showing...Read more
Surf and Sun Virtual Walk and Run flyer.

Surf & Sun Virtual Walk & Run

We’re excited to announce the results of Oregon Shores’ first-ever Surf & Sun Virtual Walk & Run! We're thrilled to share the success of our inaugural Surf & Sun Virtual Walk & Run to raise awareness and funds for our work protecting coastal ecosystems and communities. The event saw over 20 dedicated individuals registering and collectively walking, running, or hiking 92 miles on...Read more
Beach party on a misty day.

Public Access Policy Work Advances

Oregon Shores has advocated for preserving public access to Oregon’s public shoreline for more than half a century. The issue is always lurking in the background when development is proposed, but now it is moving to the foreground for active consideration. The Oregon Coastal Management Program (a part of the Department of Land Conservation and Development--DLCD) is in the midst of a study of...Read more
Riprap revetment being installed at Pine Beach.

Pine Beach Riprap Approval Stands

Riprap installation in progress at Pine Beach.\Photo by Randy Stevenson. We have a regrettable update to the story of our long battle over the massive riprap revetment installed at Pine Beach in Tillamook County. The county, responding to our partially successful earlier appeal, issued new findings on May 22. Attorneys for both Oregon Shores and Surfrider, our...Read more

Rocky Habitat Proposals Achieve Final Approval

The view from Blacklock Point.\Photo by Alex Derr. The state's Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) approved special protective designations for six key rocky shore habitat sites, a goal long sought by Oregon Shores and many other conservation and community groups. At its April 21 meeting, LCDC accepted the recommendations of the Ocean Policy...Read more
Entrance to Lighthouse Beach footpath.

Lawsuit Seeks to Preserve Lighthouse Beach Access

Entrance to Lighthouse Beach footpath.\Photo courtesy of Surfrider. News flash: There is now a trial date for the Lighthouse Beach litigation. Surfrider, taking the lead on this, filed a complaint (Coos County Case No. 22CV18438), suing the landowner under the theory of "easement by prescription." The defendants (Jay O’Leary Living Trust and Jay O’Leary,...Read more
King tide on Nehalem spit.

King Tides Project Surges Again

King tide assaults the Hwy 101 seawall at Waldport.\Photo by Roy Lowe. The Oregon King Tides Project is now in its 13th year. We've already experienced the first of the three high-tide sequences that will be the focus for the 2022-2023 edition of the project on Nov. 24-26/ The remaining two sets of extreme high tides are coming Dec. 22-24 and Jan. 20-22, 2023...Read more
Image of CoastWatch iNaturalist Challenge banner over photo of sea anemones.

CoastWatch Fall Challenge

CoastWatch is inaugurating a new, special project this autumn, the CoastWatch Fall iNaturalist Challenge, which will take place Sept. 23-Oct. 3. (Note--this event has been extended by one day, through 11:50 p.m. Oct. 3.) The ten-day challenge, which anyone (not just CoastWatchers) can join, is in effect a coastwide bioblitz, during which CoastWatch mile adopters and others are invited to observe...Read more
Photo of Drone over the Oregon coast courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium

State Parks Now Drawing Maps for Drone Zones

Drone over the Oregon coast.\Photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium. Drones have research and commercial uses, but recreational drone use, often by unskilled or reckless operators, is on the increase. This can have serious impacts to wildlife, as well as other human activities, privacy, and solitude. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is...Read more