Mile 16 - Boardman SP, Natural Bridges, Miner Cr, Deer Pt, Arch Rock - March 26, 2009

Report Details

This is the section of Mile 16 in Sam Boardman Park I call Spruce Island Viewpoint North that includes Arch Rock Viewpoint. See Bluff Erosion, Notable Live Wildlife and Comments on Human Activities sections inside my report for details. I’ve noticed whoever is chain sawing the trees out of the trails is dating when, I assume, they were taken out of the way. This one was 11/28/08. I appreciate the date stamp so I have a better idea when the tree fell and was subsequently removed during trail maintenance.

Conditions

Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: NW.

Human Activities

Number of people: 15. Number of dogs: 2. Walking or running: 12. Photography: 3. Other Activities: Most were viewing photo taking. I had previously reported about the small area just off Hwy 101 that somebody habitually creates mud puddles with some sort of off road vehicle. Today it had a regular on-road vehicle parked in it. In addition, a larger area that also has no barrier and no gravel for parking had two vehicles, a small camper truck and a car. Before I reached the vehicles, from one of the few views I have to the coves far below, I saw 4 people and a dog with shovels and buckets collecting I don’t know what. But the fact that they looked up at me ostensibly to see if I might be someone to report them and the fact that they were far out of view of anyone else gave me suspicions that they were engaged in illegal collection of something from the rocky shore below. I now suspect that the 2 areas may be used by people to access the hidden cove below for illegal collection activity. I took the make, model and license plate numbers of all 3 vehicles.

Concerns

Apparent violations: 4 people with shovels & buckets collecting something in a hidden cove.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 5. RVs/Buses parking: 2.

Notable Wildlife

A couple of dozen gulls and other birds were sunning on the sea stack rocks and soaring overhead on the breezes.

Beached Birds

None seen

Stranded Marine Mammals

None seen

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

None seen

Driftline Content

Wood pieces. Large driftwood far below in small cove beach areas

Man-made Modifications

None can happen here

Natural Changes

Newly exposed roots/trees falling.

Actions & Comments

A large fallen snag/tree took a good portion of the edge of a bluff with its root system when it fell but fell only about 6 feet out. It appears to be close enough to capture debris and dirt to create a new bluff.