Cape Lookout and Cape Foulweather
Our proposals to designate Marine Conservation Areas (MCA) at Cape Lookout and Cape Foulweather are still alive but the timeline for the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) to review and approve has been extended. Our proposals to designate both Cape Lookout and the Cape Foulweather Complex as Marine Conservation Areas (MCAs) were among 12 community-based proposals submitted to OPAC. At their May 17th meeting, OPAC approved two proposals and rejected four. The remaining six proposals, including our two, were moved to a category for further evaluation.
Cape Foulweather, photo by Steve Griffiths
A quick reminder about our proposals… We are seeking to have two sites added to the Rocky Habitat Management Strategy inventory as Marine Conservation Areas (MCA). The Cape Foulweather proposal includes the coastline from Whale Cove to Otter Rock and extends out into the ocean to encompass the near-shore kelp beds. The Cape Lookout proposal includes the coastline that wraps around the headland from north to south. The MCA designation is designed to protect “relatively intact ecosystems with high ecological value.”
This process is a first-of-its-kind in the state of Oregon – never before has the public been invited to propose areas for protective designation. Not to toot our own horns, but we have made it through an incredibly complex proposal process that at times felt truly overwhelming. It required careful delineation of habitat, development of rational, extensive communication and stakeholder outreach, and frankly, thousands and thousands of hours of work. Our two proposals were each 70-plus page documents heavy with technical language and detailed scientific documentation. As part of the process, our Audubon chapter also had to commit to taking a lead in ongoing stewardship and educational outreach.
OPAC directed the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to host a workshop this summer to review and update the proposal evaluation process in its entirety and define a clear process for further evaluation of the six pending proposals. There will be additional site-specific workshops for each pending proposal this fall. Following these workshops, we anticipate that our two proposals will be on the OPAC agenda for approval at their Spring 2022 meeting. Once approved by OPAC, proposals will continue to the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) for final consideration.
Cape Lookout, photo by Steve Griffiths
At the May 17, 2021 OPAC meeting, we heard compelling public comments in support of our proposals. Newport City Councilor, Cynthia Jacobi, asked OPAC members, “who has not stood atop the grand vista of Cape Foulweather and not felt part of something much larger than ourselves.” A Whale Cove resident who has been instrumental in these proposals reminded OPAC of the thousands of hours the community has invested in these critical proposals. A science teacher, camp counselor, and sixth generation Oregonian described leading youth groups at Cape Lookout to watch sunflower stars prowl through the tidepools and hear bald eagles and marbled murrelets in the forests on the southern flank of Cape Lookout. It is his hope that his 15 year old daughter will be able to marvel at Cape Lookout’s tide pools years from now when she is his age.
Both Cape Foulweather and Cape Lookout truly merit the protection that an MCA designation would provide. In the months ahead, we will be seeking your ongoing support and input about these two iconic sites. We want to thank all our members, constituents, and boosters who have encouraged us during this process.