>> DAVE THOMPSON INTERPRETIVE SPECIALIST SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST; Formed over time by the ancient
forces of wind and water, the Oregon Coast holds the largest, most spectacular expanse
of coastal dunes in North America. This massive stretch of wind-sculpted sand contains a stunning
diversity of habitats for plants and animals. From open sand to wetlands, dune lakes to
tree islands, and dry meadows to estuaries.
In 1972 Congress designated a forty mile strip of land encompassing the
dunes from Florence to Coos Bay as a National Recreation Area.
The Siuslaw National Forest is dedicated to caring for this unique landscape and its ecological and recreational values.
The timeless Oregon Dunes were shaped and reshaped by changing sea levels,
glacial episodes, forestation and erosion; and yet the basic pattern persists.
These are the old Coast Range Mountains, ground down by rivers, washed out to sea,
carried back by the tides, and sculpted by ocean winds.
Dramatic changes to the natural cycles of the dunes ecosystem have taken place
over recent decades. European beach grass, now considered an invasive weed, was originally
planted to stabilize shifting sand from burying roads and river mouths.
It now threatens the long-term survival of the coastal dune ecosystem.
>> MICHELE JONES DISTRICT RANGER SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST; We have a couple of projects we plan
to do this fall and basically it's, it's going out there and you know, using a bulldozer
and being real aggressive with those species. We've actually been doing
dunes restoration for 20 years in different parts on much smaller scale. And we've learned
a lot from those. The long term is to come up a longer strategy for addressing that.
Where is that appropriate and any kind of strategy is definitely going to be community based.
>> THOMPSON; The Siuslaw Watershed Council, in partnership with the Siuslaw National Forest,
brings school groups outdoors to help rid the dunes of invasive plants. These education
programs provide hands-on learning and inspire local youth to become the future stewards
of this and other special places.
While sand dunes themselves are inhospitable to life, they create habitat
diversity, support unique plant communities, and are filled with foraging, resting, and breeding grounds.
The snowy plover, a federally listed threatened bird, depends on open sand
along the shore to hide their speckled eggs. Siuslaw National Forest biologists have increased
plover protection efforts, conducted new research, managed predators, and continue to teach coastal
visitors ways to share the beaches with this special bird. As a result of these efforts,
the snowy plover population in Oregon is on the rise.
Outstanding recreation opportunities are found in the Oregon Dunes NRA. Each year,
more than 1.5 million people visit to hike, fish, boat, camp, and ride on the sand.
Wheelchair accessible sites, including this one at the Dunes Overlook and boardwalk,
open the wonders of the dunes to all visitors.
>> CARL BAUER DEPUTY DISTRICT RANGER SIUSLAW NATIONAL FOREST; And giving people an opportunity
to get back to nature, get out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and to slow down
and to see what nature's all about. And just reconnect and relax and restore yourself.
And there's nothing better than that.
>> THOMPSON; As stewards of this rare, ecologically complex and public treasure, The Forest Service,
in partnership with other organizations and communities, fulfills its public trust to
manage and protect the cultural and natural integrity
of the Oregon Dunes for generations to come.