Coastal Conservation News Archive

A complete archive of our past news articles, beginning in Fall 2016; older articles from our previous website are available in the historical archive

Snowy Plover chicks.\Photo by Adam Kotaich.
March 16, 2018

Snowy Plover Nesting Period Ends

Snowy Plover chicks.\Photo by Adam Kotaich. Beachgoers assist the ongoing effort to restore healthy populations of the threatened Western Snowy Plover to Oregon’s beaches by respecting nesting areas and beach restrictions during nesting season, March 15 through Sept. 15. Signs and ropes that identify sensitive western snowy plover nesting areas have gone up now...Read more
Fawn Custer teaching tidepool clinic.\Photo by Alex Derr.
February 24, 2018

Tidepool Tours Offered in Lincoln City

Fawn Custer teaching tidepool clinic.\Photo by Alex Derr. Tidepools and rocky shore habitats are the focus of a series of short field trips CoastWatch has been offering this spring, and which continue into summer. The events are free and open to everyone. They also double as training sessions for CoastWatchers—or prospective CoastWatchers—with rocky stretches...Read more
Marine debris collected on Bayocean Spit.\Photo by Paul Lask.
February 21, 2018

Sightings: An Encounter with Marine Debris

Marine debris collected on Bayocean Spit.\Photo by Paul Lask. I kick a hairball of grass and twigs and stems, sometimes called a whale burp, and more often than not see mesh, a bottle cap, a soap dispenser plunger. Down the way is a skinned baseball, a strange planet crash-landed among the gaper and cockle shells. There's half a lighter beside busted sand...Read more
Tidepool instruction at Haystack Rock.\Photo by Melissa Keyser/HRAP.
February 15, 2018

Share the Coast for Fun and Stewardship

Tidepool instruction at Haystack Rock.\Photo by Melissa Keyser/HRAP. The annual Sharing the Coast Conference, coming up March 2-4 in Cannon Beach this year, presents an extraordinary harvest of coastal natural history and shoreline science. Mingle with fellow coast-lovers, revel in talks, panel discussions, and field trips, and, of course, strive for supremacy...Read more
King tide at Bandon's south jetty. Photo by Barbara Harrison.
February 6, 2018

King Tide Project Will Rise Again this Winter

King tide at Bandon's south jetty. Photo by Barbara Harrison. The 2018-2019 edition of the King Tide Project is on the horizon. We have identified the three highest-high-tide sequences of the coming winter, and we're organizing "preview" events to provide background information and introduce new volunteers to the project. See the calendar for details. To see...Read more
January 30, 2018

February 6 Rally to Protest Oil Drilling Scheme

Oregon Shores is joining with many other conservation groups to sponsor a rally on the State Capitol steps to protest the Trump administration’s suddenly announced plan to open Oregon’s ocean waters to oil drilling leases (along with almost all United States marine areas). The rally takes places at 2:30 p.m., in conjunction with a hearing by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)...Read more
Devil's Churn.\Photo by Curtis Perry.
January 13, 2018

Rocky Shore Protection Is a 2018 Goal

devils_churn_curtis_perry.jpg Oregon Shores has long advocated for increased protection of the state’s tidepools and other rocky shore areas. In 2018, we hope to see movement in that direction. Oregon’s management of our state’s rocky shore areas falls under Goal 19 of our land use planning system, the goal that governs our Territorial Sea. Plans...Read more
January 12, 2018

Oregon Rises to Oppose Ocean Oil Drilling

On Jan. 4, the Trump Administration abruptly announced that it planned to open 90% of U.S ocean waters to oil drilling. Lease sales would be offered in 25 of the 26 areas into which America’s federal ocean waters are divided, including the area off Oregon and Washington. At virtually the same time, the administration also announced new proposed rules that would weaken the safety regulations that...Read more
King Tide on the Clatsop County shore.\Photo courtesy of ORKingTides.
January 2, 2018

Final King Tide Series Now Surging

King Tide on the Clatsop County shore.\Photo courtesy of ORKingTides. The final round of the 2017-2018 King Tide Project, through which volunteer photographers document the highest tides of the year, is upon us. The third and last series of extreme high tides (known as "king tides") occurs January 2-4. (The first two rounds took place in November and December...Read more
Image of top portion of Oregon coast map, showing title.
December 9, 2017

New Oregon Coast Conservation Map Available

As part of our 2017 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Beach Bill, Oregon Shores collaborated with Raven Maps to produce a new large-format, high resolution map of the Oregon coast, emphasizing public lands. The map is now available for order , in time to serve as a beautiful holiday gift for your coast-loving friends and relatives. The new map highlights...Read more