Re: [Paddlewise] Discovery vs GPS vs guidebook Rant

Gordin's very temperate rant and Michael Lampman's eloquent description of 
the difficulties of finding a spot to lay his weary head on the Gulf Coast of 
Florida stimulated me to detail some of our experience here on the Lower 
Columbia River.  In sum, so far we got it good, and we ain't complaining!

Much of the lands in and adjacent to the Columbia on the Oregon side of the 
River are in the hands of the Division of State Lands, which has a tacit 
policy of allowing anyone to use their non-dedicated lands for "recreation," 
which basically means any pursuit not expressly prohibited by state law.  We 
have many miles of sandy beaches and near uplands where we can camp ... 
excluding ... US Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges, which sometimes overlay 
the DSL lands.

And there is the rub.  As the critters native to these parts get squeezed off 
private lands through habitat loss, their principal refuge is these USFWS 
Refuges, which have been encroaching on some of the islands in the 
Columbia -- which have been used by watersports users, paddlers and power 
boaters alike, for many years as campspots.

We are not in a critical situation ... YET.  But, the needs of paddlers for 
places to camp may, in time, reach something like the situation Michael 
paints for the Gulf Coast.  In fact, there is only one reasonable place to 
camp for paddlers on the lower 15 miles of the Columbia (Ilwaco, WA, to just 
below Skamokawa, WA).  And, this is the most exposed region of the River, 
where paddlers are most likely to get nailed by wind, and __have__ to camp. 
Many of us have tried to leverage the Refuge folks to open a few spots on 
their islands for boat-in camping.  Their response has been to cite 
diminishment of habitat for wildlife, to justify the day use only policy. 
As a devoted protector of wildlife, I understand that response.

But, I suspect that a few locations for paddlers would not seriously harm the 
habitat for waterfowl or aquatic mammals, and would help make more paddlers 
aware of the value of USFWS Refuges, much in the same way that use of Refuge 
lands by duck hunters drives support for nesting grounds for ducks (e.g., 
Ducks Unlimited).

In fact, on Willapa Bay, Long Island has five boat-in campgrounds which are 
grandfathered in from their original inception back in the 1960's, and their 
existence has contributed to strong local support for the Willapa USFWS 
Refuge, which has a very active Friends group.

This saga might be one from which others in Michael's situation can take a 
page, and ferry their concerns to their local Refuge managers.  On the 
Willapa, a change in mangers some five years ago has made camping in those 
five Long Island spots more acceptable to the Service, and it could be that 
something similar might happen for Michael.  Joining the Friends group for a 
Refuge is a good way to gain an ear amongst USFWR personnel.

That's my rant.

--
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR 
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