Protect Cannon Beach Dunes From Private Dozers

The North Coast Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is joining forces with local groups to defeat Measure 4-243 in Cannon Beach. This harmful measure seeks to amend the city's charter and mandate increased "management" of the dunes along the ocean shore. Plainly, this would give a blank check to oceanfront homeowners seeking to destroy the dunes for their private views, all funded by taxpayers.

We seek to uphold the City’s collaboratively-developed Foredune Management Plan and the integrity of the natural beach system and dynamic processes, making Cannon Beach’s shoreline and community more resilient to climate change.  A NO vote on Measure 4-243 will help do that.

In Oregon, the beaches belong to the people. We don’t believe a small group of homeowners, many of whom can’t even vote for this measure, should be able to determine what the public beach looks and feels like. We've spoken with dune experts, coastal engineers, and shoreline scientists and spent time objectively educating ourselves on the greater beach and shoreline management challenges of the Cannon Beach area. We’ve found that this measure isn’t supported by science, and would harm the natural processes and resilience of the beach.

We’ve also spoken directly with proponents of the measure, and have found their arguments of increased public safety, access, and stewardship to be disingenuous and outright false. These claims have even been directly refuted by the Cannon Beach Fire District. Cannon Beach has some of the best access on the Oregon Coast, with 44 beach access points along its ~4 miles of shoreline. Further, this proposed increased “management” of the dunes would essentially mean grading the top few feet of dune grass - we were told this by the proponents themselves. That is not meaningful restoration; rather, it would put the dunes in a constant state of construction.

Check out our joint statement with Friends of the Dunes and Oregon Coast Alliance here.

We’ve submitted an argument in opposition to the County Voters Pamphlet, and we will continue to do outreach to our neighbors and Cannon Beach voters right up until Election Day.

Want to get involved? Here are a few ways you can help:

• Display or distribute yard signs (contact friendsofdunes@gmail.com)
• Talk with neighbors and other members of the community
• Write letters to the editor of The Astorian

For more information contact Kaia Hazard, Oregon Field Manager, at khazard@surfrider.org