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1
Among all of the historical figures who have loomed large in
Oregon's past, few have made such a lasting imprint as Samuel
Boardman. Superintendent of Oregon's State Parks from 1929 to 1950,
Boardman was an enthusiastic and strong-willed visionary, a tireless
public servant. With dogged determination, often funding land
acquisitions out of his own pocket, Boardman built the State Park
system we have today. Piece by piece, he built a handful of tiny parks
into a vast collection of amazing places. Ecola, Oswald West, Saddle
Mountain. Cape Arago, Cape Lookout, Silver Falls. Gifts to the
people, to generations not yet bom. Boardman was instrumental in the
acquisition of them all. I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude, a
profound indebtedness to Boardman. Every day, on the northern Oregon
coast, we live in and around these places, inheritors of Boardman's
legacy. If justice were served, he would require no introduction. We
would name schools after him. Pageants would be held in his honor.
The northern Oregon coast was of particular interest to Samuel
Boardman. Few other places in Oregon possessed such dramatic
scenery, such tremendous recreational potential, such easy access for the
people of Portland and the northern Willamette Valley — places which,
Boardman and his colleagues knew all too well, would soon be
transformed by explosive population growth. During his tenure with
State Parks, Boardman performed a number of small miracles on the
northern Oregon coast, acquiring lands, building Parks.
His work here, however, remains unfinished. The pinnacle of
the Oregon State Park system, the crown jewel, was to be Oswald West
State Park. This Park was not to be confined to its current boundaries.
Through a number of small acquisitions, piece by piece, Oswald West
was to become a park of awesome dimensions. It was to include the
high peaks to its immediate northeast - Angora Peak, Onion Peak,
Sugarloaf Mountain -- all of those high mountains, all of that
spectacular scenery visible from Cannon Beach or Ecola State Park.
Connected, unbroken, linked to the sea at Short Sand Beach. It was to
link these high peaks with an access road, with public lookout areas
providing sweeping views from Washington State to die Cascade
Mountains, to well beyond Tillamook Bay. It was to be criss-crossed
with a scries of trails, to rugged mountain tops, down into deep
canyons, along the banks of tumbling streams, through the towering
columns of old growth trees. It was to be to die northern Oregon coast
what Redwood National Park is to the northern California coast or
Olympic National Park is to the northern Washington coast. It was to
be a place of unparalleled scenic beauty, of rare recreational value, of
great environmental ini|>ortance. It was to be an amazing place. It was
to belong to the people of Oregon, forever.
During Boardman's tenure. State Parks would labor long and
hard to realize tliis vision, purchasing a few parcels here, trading for a
few parcels diere. But State Parks did not succeed. Boardman retired.
Budget priorities changed, both within State Parks, and among the
people of Oregon. The plan for Oswald West, still on the books at
State Parks, was stabled indefinitely. The awesome mountains to its
Casually Tdegant Dining
Located in the
Cannon 'Beach Motel
1116 S. MemlocL
northeast were sold or traded — as 'assets', as interchangeable
conunodilies — by a succession of timber companies, passing from
Crown Zellerbach to Cavenliain to Hanson to Willamette Most of the
lands were logged. Private property, all, gates and No Trespassing
signs have often blocked public access. In the next two years, the last
of the old growth groves along Oswald West's eastern edge are scheduled
to be logged. This is not what Boardman bad in mind.
Perhaps it is time to revisit Boardman's vision for this
distinctive comer of Oregon. As predicted, the Northwest's population
has boomed. On sunny weekends, Oswald West and other north coast
Parks are more than full, their parking lots overflowing while many
potential visitors see the crowds and just keep driving The future of
the mountains behind Oswald West remains uncertain, subject to the
rise and fall of timber markets, lagging proceeds apace, and remnant
old growth is now slated for harvesting People imagine: if only
Boardman had succeeded before his retirement. If only tliis land had
become a national park when national parks were being created
throughout the West. If only.
In response to this impending harv est of old growth, and
inspired by Boardman's vision, a small north coast non-profit
organization has initiated negotiations to acquire the threatened old
growth groves, for incorporation into Oswald West State Park. In
recent years, this non-profit, the Ecola Creek Awareness Project (or
"ECAP" - yes, donations are tax deductible) has served as a watchdog
organization on many such environmental issues along tliis stretch of
the northern Oregon coast. learning of plans to log this old growth,
ECAP entered into a period of intensive reconnaissance, gathering
information on the threatened parcels and contacting a number of
organizations and officials to let them know what was happening.
They presented their findings to State Parks. They presented their
findings to The Nature Conservancy and other environmental
organizations. They discussed their concerns with U.S. Congressman,
David Wu. (I include a slightly edited copy of their one-page fact sheet
on the two parcels of greatest concern, below.) In late July, in response
to the efforts of ECAP, The Nature Conservancy entered into direct
negotiations with the CEO of Willamette regarding these parcels.
Although no agreements have been reached, meetings continue. It now
looks as if these negotiations could yield results. These two small
groves of old growth forest, these few acres, might yet be incoqxirated
into Oswald West State Park.
Arguably, this could just be the beginning. Willamette's top
executives, apparently, are eager to negotiate, with an enthusiasm
unprecedented among die land's previous owners. Seeking the timber
industry's "green certification," they seek ways of unloading huids of
particular biological, recreational, or scenic significance, that might
create public relations headaches down the road. Few places would
seem as appropriate a staging ground for highly visible goodwill
gestures, for land donations or discounted land sales, as the perimeter of
Oswald West State Park. The Nature Conservancy, meanwhile, is eager
to expand their small reserve on the top of Onion Peak, in order to
incorporate more of the scenic and biologically sensitive mountaintops
nearby — mountaintops with plants so rare that they are endemic to each
individual Peak, and are found nowhere else on Earth. (Dig up a copy
of the January 1998 Ecola Ilaliee for more information on these areas.)
And, with a small amount of additional funding available as a result of
Measure 66, State Parks might be able to contribute money to the
effort. Things seem to be falling into place. It is a time of rare
opportunity.
Certainly, it would be a shame to miss out on tliis
opportunity. Yet there is much left to be done, if ever Samuel
Boardman's vision is to be realized, in whole or in part. Plans must be
formulated. Important people must be convinced. Much work lies
ahead, but the rewards could be great — for the people who live on the
northern Oregon coast, for all the people of Oregon. For everyone.
People with diverse talents are now coming together to discuss the idea,
to get a sense of public sentiment, to chart out a course of action. And
you are invited. Anyone who is willing to volunteer any effort to this
cause, or merely wishes to express their enthusiasm for die idea of an
expanded Oswald West State Park, should contact the Ecola Creek
(503)436-0908
Old Growth Parcels Adjacent to
Oswald West State Park
~ These two small parcels represent some of the last privately owned
old-growth forest on the northern Oregon coast. They are located
within Clatsop County, occupying portions of tax lots 4-10-30-622 and
4-10-31-623 and totaling roughly 14 acres. They sit immediately
adjacent to Oswald West Slate Park, in the watershed of Dichter Creek,
a tributary of Arch Cape Creek.
~ Both parcels are currently owned by Willamette Industries.
Willamette Industries has indicated that they plan to harvest these
parcels in the next 1 to 2 years. Willamette Industries has initiated field
surveys of timber on, and roadway access to, the site.
~ L-ocatcd on northeast-facing slopes, these parcels have been more
protected from fire and wind disturbance tlian has much of Oswald West
State Park. For tliis reason, they contain rare examples of Northwest
coastal 'climax' forest, with large-diameter Western Hemlock and Red
Cedar, in addition to large-diameter Sitka Spruce.
~ While some timber was hand-logged from the edge of the northeastern
parcel in the 1890s, both parcels contain large, intact stands of old
growth timber with multiple canopy structure. The northeastern parcel
also contains unharvested riparian bottomland.
~ Representatives of both State Parks and the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) suggest that these parcels probably abut or
contain Marbled Munclet nesting areas, and may also be part of a larger
nesting area used by Northern Spotted Owls. However, no known
formal surveys of these two birds have been conducted in the immediate
area
~ ODFW records identify the segment of Dichter Creek that flows
through the southern end of the northeastern parcel as anadromous fish
habitat. The small tributary that flows through the middle of this
parcel is also identified as probable anadromous fish habitat. ODFW
field surveys are planned for this area but are not yet complete.
~ This contiguous area of old growth timber — including both parcels,
and Park lands immediately adjacent - has been identified as being of
particularly high biological diversity by amateur north coast naturalists,
containing amphibians, bryophytes, and vascular plants that are rare in
the north coast's managed forests. No formal survey has been
conducted.
~ Tillamook Indian oral history mentions characters gathering bark
from Western Red Cedars in the approximate vicinity of the north
eastern parcel, for use in clothing and ceremonial objects. Some
possibly scarred trees have been reported in the area. No formal survey
has yet been conducted to identify cultural resources of this type.
~ Samuel Boardman - longtime Superintendent of Oregon State Parks
- originally had plaimed to acquire these two parcels, as part of a larger
plan to expand Oswald West beyond its present eastern boundary. This
plan was never realized, but never formally abandoned by Oregon State
Parks.
~ The two parcels are located in a place where they could easily be
incorporated into Oswald West, as well as the existing State Park trail
network.
‘Jfyservations Suggested
Light Lunch 12 :0 0 -4 :0 0
fo r n i1
(Homemade soups, chowders, bread
and deligh tfu l desserts
Dinner S a v e d 4:00 - 9:00
Award winning chowders, unique salads
pasta, seafood, steals and chicken
(Monday - QreekSpecials
Wednesday ■ ‘Pasta Specials
Closed Sunday
Awareness Project. They can be reached at P.O. Box 181 Cannon
Beach, Oregon 97110. They would love to hear from you. There is a
very good chance that the future dimensions of Oswald West State Park
will be decided in the year ahead. Many groups will influence this
decision: Willamette Industries, Oregon State Parks, The Nature
Conservancy, the Ecola Creek Awareness Project, and several others.
Let them know if the public still supports Samuel Boardman's vision
for the northern Oregon coast. Let them know, clearly and repeatedly,
what you think.
IN AN UNJUST WORLD...JUSTICE.
Personal Injury Lawyer
GREGORYKAFOlRY
SW
202 Oregon Pioneer Building
320 S.W. Stark Street
Portland. OR 97204
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Phone:
(503) 224-2647
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«UÄWDmWH I H&MDWRnTECi
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P.O. Box 988
Cannon Beach, OR
97110
(503) 436-2000
Pax (503) 43 6-0746
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