Send An Email...Protect Doug's Beach

[geohaye]

Hey Gang-

Dougs Beach in the Gorge, one of the best windsurfing spots
anywhere, needs our help. Info from Diane Barkhimer and our friends at the CGWA (Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association)
<http://windsurf.gorge.net/cgwa/>:

CGWA has been monitoring and commenting since 1998 on the proposed
double siding (double tracks) at Dougs Beach. Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Railway Company has submitted new plans for the siding.
[CGWA] just found out today [Dec 12, 2000] that the deadline for
submitting public comment on the proposal is December 20, 2000.
Below is the letter that [the CGWA] faxed to the Columbia River Gorge
Commission. They can approve or not approve the proposed plan. Were
asking for a public hearing. [Read the letter for more info!]

Would you please send your comments (even if you dont personally
sail at this site), asking for a public hearing to the Gorge
Commission? You do not have to go into detail, but you do need to:

Reference your letter or Email using this information:
C99-0007-K-G-11, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company

You may mail or fax your letter using the address in the [CGWA]
letter below or send it:

by EMAIL: <crgc@gorge.net>
or by FAX: (509) 493-2229

**Note -- If the double tracks plan goes through, Washington Parks will have to provide a pedestrian tunnel (per the RR) for access. This will cut down on the parking.

**On an even larger note -- Washington Parks is having to trim their
budget and they are going back to the last list of parks to close.
Dougs Beach was on that list. [CGWA fought that closure.]
-=-
December 13, 2000

Ms. Claire Puchy, Executive Director
Columbia River Gorge Commission
P.O. Box 730
White Salmon, WA 98672

Regarding Ref #: C99-0007-K-G-11, Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Railway Company

Dear Ms. Puchy,

The Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association represents approximately
1,000 members nationwide including Canada and Europe. We are a
nonprofit organization dedicated to enhance the windsurfing experience for all windsurfers on the Columbia River. Our main function as an Association is to maintain, improve, and create new windsurfing sites. We are committed to this purpose.

The Association is quite concerned about the proposed project of the
double tracks east of Lyle, Washington near the Dougs Beach
windsurfing area. This site is a highly used and popular sailing area
with thousands of visitors who come to the Gorge every year from
around the world.

A 10,000 foot-long siding extending from a point 1,600 feet east of
the easterly Lyle railroad tunnel, westerly past Dougs Beach State Park and terminating at a point 700 feet east of the Dougs Beach State Park pedestrian rail crossing would mean that trains would
extend over the crossing during shuttling onto and from the siding
from the east. The potential for significant and prolonged blockage
of the crossing exists.

The proposed siding would completely block Dougs West. Even though
Dougs West is now off limits, people may be using it, and a siding
would make such usage much more dangerous.

Sailors leaving the Dougs Beach site walking back to their cars would not be able to see east bound trains with parked trains
blocking their view. This is an extremely dangerous situation when
sailors are carrying their gear across the tracks; even with the
crossing guards.

Any shortening of the depth of the parking would also create a
hazardous situation as many windsurfing vehicles are longer than the average auto and loading and unloading of gear may extend that
operation onto the highway.

We believe that a public hearing is absolutely necessary to address
our concerns for the safety of many. Thank you for your attention to this extremely important matter.

[Be sure to include your name and full mailing address.]

[isobars]

Great idea, but I wish it had been posted in the other windsurfing forums, too. This forum is an excellent one, but it is just one of several available, including one with much more traffic. I just spotted your message today ... too late to respond ... and Dougs Beach is less than two hours away from me.

Mike \m/

[geohaye]

True, it would be helpful if folks who read other windsurfing forums to spread this kind of news to those forums as well.

Note - aside from this post on iWindsurf.com, the news was also distributed via the CGWA email list, and the SFBA (San Francisco Boardsailing Association) eNewsletter. Evidently, there was a ton of public input. Stay tuned.

PS: To get on those email lists, see the websites:

CGWA: http://www.gorge.net/windsurf/cgwa/

SFBA:
http://sfba.org/

~George