VIEWPOINT | Lack of beach access is too expensive

There has been no shortage of big ideas to bring more tourist dollars to Whidbey Island. Funiculars, mini-convention centers, world-class resorts — you name it. All of them met with stiff resistance from the public along the lines of “Do we really need to destroy our island in order to save it?” But what if there was a way to draw tourists to the island that would make life better for residents too? And what if it would require little more than a few signs and parking spaces?

September 29, 2015 5:37 pm

By BRIAN LOWEY

There has been no shortage of big ideas to bring more tourist dollars to Whidbey Island. Funiculars, mini-convention centers, world-class resorts — you name it. All of them met with stiff resistance from the public along the lines of “Do we really need to destroy our island in order to save it?”

But what if there was a way to draw tourists to the island that would make life better for residents too? And what if it would require little more than a few signs and parking spaces?

It’s called public beach access, which, unfortunately, is in short supply on Whidbey Island. And it’s not just a Whidbey problem. Unlike Oregon, California and Hawaii, where the entire coastline is open to the public, only a small fraction of Washington’s saltwater beaches are public, and half of those are inaccessible. They are either so remote or so walled off by adjoining landowners that they are out of reach to most of us. And this may be hurting our economy.

Studies done by the University of South Carolina indicate that tourists tend to spend more money in places with beach access. Over $6.60 a day per tourist, to be exact. A trip to the beach might require flip-flops, a sandwich or a towel. Visitors also stay longer if there’s more to do. If you multiply $6.60 more in daily spending by the two million tourists who visit Deception Pass every year you start piling up serious money.

And there are more studies saying pretty much the same thing. A study done in Florida found that vacationers value saltwater beach access at $34 more in daily spending. In California, the number rockets to $70 per day! A Florida study indicates that even local residents are willing to pay $1-$2 a day for beach access.

And it isn’t just beachcombers spending the money. Have you noticed the swarms of fishermen lining our beaches when the salmon are running? When they’re not jostling for the limited beach space, they’re in our hardware stores and cafes. In fact two studies done here in Washington show that when shore fishing is an option, visitors are willing to spend $50 more per day.

So how much will we have to spend to gain the full benefits of coastal tourism? Not much, because beach access is already here — at unmarked road ends and public beaches unlawfully claimed by private landowners. At many of these locations, all that’s needed is signage and widening road shoulders for parking.

These small steps could have a significant impact on Whidbey businesses. Greenbank, for example, has been a graveyard of small businesses and is home to the troubled Greenbank Farm. What would happen to Greenbank if there was beach access, either on the west side at one of the non-militarized parts of Lake Hancock or on the east side, at the site of the old Greenbank Wharf? Both properties are now in public hands and lack beach access.

Here’s another way to envision the economic power of beach access: What would happen to Whidbey’s economy if one of the Fortune 500 companies moved here? If wildlife viewing were a Fortune 500 company, it would be in the top 25. About 20 million days are spent on the beach each year in Washington alone. Is Whidbey getting its fair share?

 

Brian Lowey is a member of Island Beach Access, which is working to improve access to Island County’s beaches. He has worked as a journalist and an environmental consultant. He currently runs an online business in Clinton.