Jones Beach Closure Meeting, who is coming?

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

If the land owners got the ball rolling and the state is going to improve the area kiters are not the focus. Improvement being you not having free reign.

The federal protections in regards to waterways and it riparian protections will more than likely mandate the result.

I would stop shitting on the property and driving on the beech, at least till this thing blows over. You wouldnt want a biologist to study the impacts of those behaviors in regards to this sensitive area.

This Land Ain't your land .......its Uncle Sams even if you pay the property taxes.. Idea

Blazeheliski · Since 30 Mar 2011 659 Posts Mosier Addicted

The thing that makes Jones so fantastic for beginners is the shallow bay area at the west end of the beach - about a quarter mile from the parking lot. If kiters are forced to not park on the beach, and only park in the parking lot, Jones will be a lot less attractive to beginners. The beach in front of the parking lot is close to where the wind starts to die. A beginner will no longer have very far to drift before they have to start walking back up the beach because they lost wind. The water in front of the parking lot gets deep quickly - again, less attractive to beginners.

If we are forced to park in the parking lot - walking my gear out will be a hassle for me, but still doable. For a beginner - that area of the beach kinda sucks. Walking a quarter mile up the beach to the good beginner spot would make Jones a lot less attractive.

I disagree with those suggesting that we offer not to park on the beach. The property owners are not asking for it either. Why add extra regulations upon ourselves? Not parking on the beach will be safer? I have seen plenty of people drag themselves into the big logs that park on the beach also. Maybe work on techniques to keep yourself safe and in control so that you will be safe at the 90% of other launches that have hard objects you can hit?

I say go to the meeting. Show that kiters are willing to self police themselves and are willing to do beach cleanups as a gesture of goodwill to the locals. Request bathrooms be installed so that beach can stay clean. Self police ourselves rather than request bans and regulations private property owners are not even asking to be imposed.

For me personally - if I can't park on the beach, I probably wont go to Jones very much any more. Being able to park right next to where I launch is what makes Jones and Stevenson my two favorite places to kite.

registered · Since 12 Jul 2005 1319 Posts tsunami Sandbagger

Unless they are going to benefit from you being there they won't care if your not.
I wouldn't mention getting dragged around into anything either.
Maybe offer to take a annual cleanup under the cgka wing.

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

Anthony · Since 07 Oct 2008 362 Posts Salem Obsessed **CGKA Member**

There is never a unified way of looking at things. To each their own. I have only provided some suggestions to use, abuse or throw away. The only real thing most of us want is access. At least a windsurfer on NW-Windtalk informed the wind users world that this was happening in the first place, so that the wind users can at least voice there opinion on what action might happen. I was about 8 days late re-posting on Nwkite. My email goes in tonight. See you all on the water.

Blazeheliski · Since 30 Mar 2011 659 Posts Mosier Addicted

D-Krep It Kiter · Since 18 Jul 2011 417 Posts Obsessed

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Can't imagine the magic of Jones beach without the ATV's and dirtbikes
4th of July is pretty rad

wouldn't bet against that contingent - you'll see a strong local turnout...
(maybe a common ground could be some bathrooms and reasonable operating hours...)

beech · Since 21 Aug 2010 486 Posts Longview, WA Obsessed

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

But...I just bought a dirt bike so I can run over all your lines finally. Are you telling me I might be too late!?

Hope things turn out positively for the kiters.

Nak · Tue May 21, 13 4:01 pm

Hey everybody!

I was the CGKA representative appointed to look into the Jones Beach Issue. Unfortunately, I got called out on a trip to Tokyo and will be unable to make the meeting. For that I apologize. However, Scott Davidson, another CGKA board member, will be representing the CGKA. ( Other board members may be there as well.) I'd like to thank Anthony for his help and advice in this matter, as well as Nate. The CGKA will be representing kite boarding interest's at the meeting and I sincerely hope that all attending kite boarders will throw their support behind the CGKA. The CGKA has been an extremely positive force for kite boarding here in the northwest. We have opened up a number of kite boarding launches and protected others. All of our interests will be best served by a united front. The CGKA has experience in dealing with this sort of situation, and it will be the CGKA who will become a liason between the locals and governing/police agencies.

First off, what can we, the kiteboarding community, do to help the situation at Jones Beach? We have to respect the local's position and help work towards a solution that addresses their rights and concerns. We need to develop a good relationship with them, as well as appropriate governing agencies. We'll be organizing annual cleanups of Jones Beach for sure. We'll help with signage so that visitors will be aware of Jones Beach regulations and property lines. We'll help Kiteboarders self police our community's behaviour at jones. Basically, we'll do the things we're already doing all over the Gorge.

What should our goals, as a kiteboarding community be at Jones? Fiirst and foremost, we want to maintain Jones Beach as a viable Kiteboarding launch site. We all know that we can do that while keeping Jones a safe and enjoyable spot for locals and visitors alike. It's our job at this and future meetings to get that point across to the governing agencies and the landowners. With a united front, we can do that. This is not the time to try and push for new regulations that one or two of us as individuals may want. That will just confuse the issue. Confuse it too much and the easy answer for the politicians will be just to shut off kiteboarding. They don't understand kitebaording, they don't know what is safe and what isn't. We know and understand that Jones can be a very safe launch point; it's our job to convey that message. Please, PLEASE, don't confuse the message. Let us do our job of protecting your rights. We need your help and your support. Again, I point to our record in the Gorge as a reason why we deserve your help and support.

We hope to maintain vehicular access and jetski launching at Jones, if we can work that out. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, vehicular access is important for many people to be able to reach the shallow launch area. There are kiteboarders who are physically able to kite, but are physically incapable of hiking the 1/4 mile while carrying their gear due to minor disabilities. I can think of one guy with a bum knee... Very Happy

However, we need to respect private property lines. Additionally, it would be great to come up with advisory areas for where not to park, so that kiters can land downwind of vehicles. I think that should be left out of the meeting however. We can work on that later. Again, let's not confuse the issue. As far asJetski launching, Jetskis provides a valuable rescue resource at Jones that is simply not available otherwise.

There's a lot more that will have to go in to this as well. Lavatory facilities will have to be addressed. Certain restrictions like speed limits on vehicles would not hurt us at all. Camping would be nice, but my feeling is that the locals and the police are way too fed up with the situation to allow camping to continue. If regulated camping can be achieved that would be great, but it would be foolish to lose all of our other goals to fight for this one. As far as ATV use, I believe the ATV crowd has made their own bed.

If you have concerns, please PM me or Forrest. We'd love to hear your thoughts. I'll be able to call Scott prior to the meeting and pass your concerns along. I ask that at the meeting that you show solidarity with the CGKA. I ask that you listen to and respect the locals, the police, and any governing officials present. I think that with your support Jones Beach can become an even better place to kite.

Thanks for listening.
Nak

beech · Since 21 Aug 2010 486 Posts Longview, WA Obsessed

agreed. looks like its time i join the cgka.

skent · Tue May 21, 13 4:52 pm

Nak · Tue May 21, 13 5:42 pm

kochease · Since 03 Jul 2008 760 Posts In Ft. Stevens, OR Opinionated

For those of you who dont mind jones being closed to all vehicles consider this: LOOK AT THE ATTACHED PICTURE BELOW !!!!!

no parking on west end road near where we launch. Private property.

That leaves only the paved parking lot that is small and filled with cars and motorhomes on the weekends. Seriously limited parking.

Then the 1/2 mile walk in sand and wind hauling your gear blowing in the wind to west end of beach.

Beach at parking lot unsafe to kite. 6-8ft cliff's, crowded, wall to wall fisherman to walk thru with your kite in the are. Definitly unsafe.

Wind shadow in front of east island. Not uncommon to become a member of the island unpleasanly

On Side Note for Topic Points and Worth Mentioning:

ü  58 people signed the petition for Jones reform, many of them live their and have been for generations so we must show respect.

ü  We want to respect property rights.

ü  In the audio tapes a complaint of kilter’s parking on private property was mentioned and we will need to clarify that we will stop it.

ü  Need clarification of the property lines so we don’t park on someone’s private property.

ü  Maybe come up with some parking solutions with the land owners?

ü  Offer to volunteer work with the home owners on cleaning up their property and adding signs.

ü  State to the property owners there that we know changes need to be made because of the problems of noise, Wild West type behavior and express how we are not the problem and we sympathize with them about these concerns.

ü  Let’s not directly take on the ATV group. Let the homeowners and law enforcement handle that and it has been pretty well covered.

ü  Let’s focus on “How” and “Why” Jones is a valuable beach and should not be closed or over regulated but supported.

ü  Let’s focus on “How” and “Why” wind sports are positive and beneficial to Jones and the homeowners.

ü  We contribute to the local economy. Wind Sports enthusiasts camp, eat, get gas and shop in Clatskanie. I spend money in Clatskanie every day I go to Jones.

ü  We need to keep Jones open and drivable.

ü  The west end beach where we all kite is private property; we need to win over the landowners!!

Nak · Tue May 21, 13 7:20 pm

Folks, if anyone took offense at my post, I apologize. I had no intention of slighting anybody. I respect every opinion put forth here. We are a disparate group of individuals, and we all have our own ideas on how to proceed. I'm just hoping to get everyone together on the main point: To keep kite accessss at Jones we'll need to work with the locals and respect their concerns. The more united we are, the better the odds are of keeping Jones open.

I know you're all concerned aand ready to do your part to keep a great place like Jones open. Everyone's concerns and ideas are valid. Again, I apologize if anyone thinks I was brushing off their voice.

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth