A somewhat confusing petition is circulating the Cannon Beach community to amend the city's charter and mandate increased "management" of the dunes along the ocean shore. The effort, backed by the glamour and glitter of well-produced media, money and even a rock n roll legend front man, seeks to advance a ballot measure for the local November election to reshape and more actively manage the foredunes along the ocean shore in Cannon Beach. Local groups, including Surfrider Foundation are now all lining up in opposition of the measure's special interests.While the petition and it's communication are already wrought with local controversy, Surfrider Foundation staff here in Oregon have taken the time to speak directly with the proponents of the initiative to listen to their concerns and interests. 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. Quite simply, we've internally found the ballot initiative to be extremely unfavorable and conflicting with a number of organizational policies on beach access and beach preservation. More externally in our outreach, we've found little to no support from local partners and shoreline experts.
For these and other important considerations for the good of the public beach, equity of access, dynamic ecology and future resilience of the Cannon Beach shoreline community, Surfrider Foundation is opposed to the current ballot initiative. We join the following groups in this below shared statement on the initiative:
JOINT STATEMENT ON CANNON BEACH FOREDUNE BALLOT INITIATIVE:
The Friends of the Dunes Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast Alliance, and Surfrider Foundation
DON’T BE FOOLED.
The proposed Cannon Beach Foredune Initiative is an unfunded mandate — the city’s taxpayers would have to pay for lowering and reshaping the dunes at public expense—for the benefit of a small number of oceanfront property owners seeking better views. This is not about beach safety and access.
This is a 180-degree reversal of the community’s current dune management plan, which prioritizes healthy dunes that protect the community from erosion and winter storms. The measure would replace that approach with an open-ended mandate to keep lowering and reshaping the dunes, with no dedicated funding source and no clear limits.
Based on a public records request, local fire, police, and lifeguard officials have confirmed there have been no dune-related safety incidents. The Fire District has also stated that dune grading would not improve its emergency operations.
This initiative seeks to bypass the existing management plan that protects Cannon Beach dunes by dressing up dune grading for oceanfront owners as a public safety and access issue. The facts do not support those claims.
It would also amend the City Charter, locking this dune policy into the city’s highest governing document instead of allowing updates as science, coastal conditions, and shoreline management best practices change.
A judge has rewritten the ballot caption and question to make the measure’s misleading language clearer to voters, including that its use of the word “management” does not mean management for the public good, and making it clear that the public would bear the costs.
Don’t be fooled into paying for a plan that lets oceanfront homeowners grade the dunes for better views.
Public cost. Private gain. Say NO!
As a founding member of the Newport, OR Chapter, Charlie has greatly advanced Surfrider's mission through ocean conservation as the Oregon Policy Manager. With a BS in Marine Biology and as a member of the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, Charlie’s ties to the ocean reach far and wide.