Re: [Paddlewise] San Juan Islands DNR closures

Mike McNally <mmcnally3_at_PRODIGY.NET> wrote:

>>>>>>>>>On Fri 07 Sep 2001, elias.ross_at_openwave.com wrote:

> Matt Broze wrote:
> >
> It doesn't seem like in the interest of
> the people of the San Juan Islands (who are often reclusive rich folk)
> to offer campsites to kayakers, who offer them no economic benefit.
<<<<<<<<<

I did not write this, but the above quote makes it seem like I did.

Mike Wagenbach wrote:
<SNIP>>>>>>>The information is pretty readily available, however.  The state
publishes a book, _Washington Public Shore Guide_, I think is the
title, which is pretty useful.  Published in 1986, but hopefully
nothing has changed since then regarding state ownership.  I also
picked up a map several years ago which was a combination topo and road
map of the San Juans with the public beaches labled and their extent
marked  (the state book is not so good about showing the endpoints of
the public beach).  Don't have it on me to check the name of the
publisher, but I could check at home.<<<<<<SNIP>

The DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) published "Your Public Beaches" for
both the San Juan Islands and the Straits of Juan de Fuca and (I believe)
also published that map of the San Juans you have. I used to take them with
me on paddles so I could know where I could land. Also, if I was confronted
I figured I could apologize for mistaking their land for a public beach,
pull them out and ask the landowner to point out where I was on the map. I
figured that would be a non-confrontational way to get them to look at that
map. I never needed to do this, as well, but I suspect that the publication
of these booklets back in 1986 was a major factor that mobilized the
landowners to find ways of limiting the kayakers that could access their
newly discovered public beaches (that the landowners had previously treated
as their private property) by closing the kayak access points near the ferry
terminals at Lopez, Shaw and Orcas Islands. Many of the beaches in the San
Juan's are public up to the mean high tide line. Essentially that means
those beaches could be accessed at any time the tide was not up into the log
line. Camping would not be legal even on the sand though if the area was not
designated as a camping area.
I think one of the main problem landowners would probably have with kayakers
was the reason many of them chose to land. Most seeking to relieve
themselves probably wouldn't do so on the low and level sands (in full
visibility) but would rather trespass to a more private place.

I suspect that Dave's plywood kayak was resonating more like a guitar than a
flute.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com



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