[Paddlewise] Public Beaches (was: "Commado" Camping)

--- ralph diaz <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> 
> Most countries have similar rules, i.e. a fairly wide-band of
> shoreline
> ABOVE the mean high tide line is public.  Depending on your outlook,
> the
> US is either foreward looking or backward looking regarding this.
> 
> BTW, I was impressed in my visits to Puerto Rico to find that
> something
> similar applies there, i.e. a wide band of the beaches belongs to the
> public.  The hotels, no matter how much they would like the situation
> to
> be different, cannot ban innocent passage along the beaches in front
> of
> their property.  Also, and this is critical, there must be access to
> those beachs from the land at decent intervals.
> 
-snip-

I live in an oceanfront house in WA state (USA), and I have mixed
feelings about the public policy on beaches.  On the one hand, I'm very
glad that the beaches are public land.  For me, a coastline - the edge
of a continent - is a sacred place, and personal ownership just doesn't
seem right to me (personal ownership of bits of earth is already a
somewhat absurd concept to me - although I can understand the utility
in some of it).  

However, there is one thing that really really REALLY bothers me about
my state's policy... Driving is allowed on the beach (ack!!!).  What's
that all about?  I've been told that it's because the beach is
designated a *state highway* (I've never seen anyone using the beach
for point to point travel - especially at the beach in front of my
house, as I live on a little spit of sand sticking out into the ocean -
effectively a dead end).  That (state highway designation) may be why
it's allowed, but why is it designated as such in the first place??!! 
This is something I've never understood.  There is no real need to
drive on the beach (except for surf rescues and other possible
emergencies).  

I've written to the Governor a few times regarding this disgusting
practice, but haven't heard back from him.  I've written to the DOT,
and haven't heard from them.  It's a sad situation.

Melissa  

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