07/10/2026
A somewhat confusing petition is circulating the Cannon Beach community to amend the city's charter and mandate increased "management" of the dunes along the ocean shore. The effort, backed by the glamour and glitter of well-produced media, money, and even a rock n roll legend front man, seeks to advance a ballot measure for the local November election to reshape and more actively manage the foredunes along the ocean shore in Cannon Beach. Local groups, including Surfrider Foundation, are now all lining up in opposition of the measure's special interests.
While the petition and it's communication are already wrought with local controversy, Surfrider Foundation staff here in Oregon have taken the time to speak directly with the proponents of the initiative to listen to their concerns and interests. We've spoken with dune experts, coastal engineers, and shoreline scientists and spent time objectively educating ourselves on the greater beach and shoreline management challenges of the Cannon Beach area. Quite simply, we've internally found the ballot initiative to be extremely unfavorable and conflicting with a number of organizational policies on beach access and beach preservation. More externally in our outreach, we've found little to no support from local partners and shoreline experts.
For these and other important considerations for the good of the public beach, equity of access, dynamic ecology, and future resilience of the Cannon Beach shoreline and community, Surfrider Foundation is opposed to the current ballot initiative. We join the following groups in this below shared statement on the initiative.
Read our blog here: https://northcoast-or.surfrider.org/news/local-groups-unite-against-dune-ballot-measure-in-cannon-beach
