With Spring Break approaching, our coastal land and resource management partners are preparing for an influx of visitors and with them, the increased impact of more traffic on our beaches and trails. This is also prime time for wildlife, with snowy plovers beginning to nest, shorebirds migrating in large flocks, seal pups on the beaches, and elk roaming near the roads.
We’re encouraging visitors to ‘Coast Like a Local,” this spring by remembering to give wildlife space – at least 50 yards, to be exact – and that means keeping dogs away, too.
This week, we’ve launched an ad campaign focused on tips for keeping wildlife safe. We encourage you to share these tips with your own visitors! Help us equip everyone with the knowledge needed to navigate the coast responsibly and stay safe during spring adventures.
Key Tips to Share with Visitors
- Leave wildlife alone. Marine mammals (including seals and sea lions) must be left alone. It’s for their safety and yours! Always stay at least 50 yards away from seals and other marine mammals (this includes your dogs, too). Give them space and admire them from afar. A good rule of thumb: if an animal is reacting to your presence, you’re too close!
- Know before you go: We can all help protect Snowy Plovers by knowing when and where they nest, and being careful to walk only in permitted areas: below the hightide line and on hard-packed sand on specific beaches managed for plovers. In areas where signage is present, dogs (even on leashes), drones, vehicles, bikes, e-bikes, and kites are not allowed. Learn more here.
- Leash-up: We keep our pups away from wildlife, too. When you let your dog chase shore birds, it wastes their much needed energy resources and is detrimental to their ability to raise the next generation. It’s always best to leash-up and keep dogs away from seals, sea lions, and shore birds.
- Leave no Trace: Giving wildlife space means keeping them safe from our trash. We always pack out trash and food scraps to avoid the risk posed to wildlife and marine habitats.
By encouraging visitors to embrace the coast like locals do, we aim to encourage stewardship behavior for our wildlife along with a deeper appreciation for the beauty and complexity of our Oregon Coast ecosystems.
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The Coast like a Local campaign is a project that encourages visitors to engage in responsible stewardship when they recreate at the coast. These messages are drafted with support and input from our Strategic Advisory Group, a convening group of resource agencies who manage the coast’s natural resources, and who are invested in protecting public safety for visitors and locals.