In last week’s Leader, Ross Howell of Puget Sound Anglers wrote in support of a new elevated boat launch near the present site of the Fort Worden pier and the Marine Science Center. He argued, “Some local residents favor removing the boat ramp because it does not conform to their idea of a pristine beach. But the state parks system is not a nature conservancy: Its central mission is to provide opportunities for recreation to all citizens of Washington State.”

This is a simplification of the issues involved.

First, you should be aware that when Washington State Parks asked for comments on its proposals, the response from the public was overwhelmingly opposed to the boat launch. And yet at the public meeting, April 18, the first thing the state park representative said was, “this is not a popularity contest,” and decisions would be driven by “reasons,” thus implying, wrongly, that the public comments lacked reasons. We will correct that perception here.

Those opposed to the boat launch have three principal arguments:

Appearance. The elevated boat launch will be huge. It will be a solid cement structure 20’ wide, 220’ long, with 12” curbs to the seafloor. The elevated end will require 5’ of fill to meet the height of the ramp. The floating seasonal dock will have a grated surface that allows sunlight, but the pontoons floating it will block that light. When the old pier is removed the launch will be the most conspicuous thing on the beach, interrupting this unique scenic shoreline.

Health. The fort has one entrance and traffic problems. The additional traffic will cross the entire campus to get to the ramp. The launch requires navigating a tight “traffic loop” multiple times creating congestion, traffic queues, and a lot of idling motors. This “launch loop” will be located in the narrowest strip of beach with the highest pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Campers will notice more noise, exhaust fumes, and gas and oil pollution on the water.

Function. The primary goal of the proposal is to restore littoral drift to improve the eelgrass habitat along the shoreline. But a study for Washington State Parks concluded that an elevated boat launch would itself create sedimentation: “The elevated boat ramp [and floating breakwaters] will continue to interrupt littoral drift at its seaward end where it meets grade.” In other words, the launch defeats the stated purpose for removing the pier.

The study also states that with the removal of the pier, “The new boat launch will be exposed to choppy wave conditions more often than the current boat launch. This will reduce the amount of time it will be safe to use.”

Finally, the plan for the flow of traffic to the launch is inadequate. The state parks justifies the plan by arguing that the existing ramp is very popular. It claims that two thousand motorized vessels use the ramp each year, with fifty boats per day in the high season. And yet they are planning for just six parking spaces. If fifty vessels per day each took fifteen minutes to launch and fifteen minutes to retrieve, it would require twenty-five hours. Even our long PNW summer days are not that long, so what we can expect is frequent truck/trailer gridlock.

How this park is actually used. People come to this park because of this unique beach, to play in the sand, swim, kayak, and enjoy the natural beauty of the shore and its wildlife. During the summer, the beach is covered with people. The beach’s greatest recreational use is passive. Not busy, not loud, and not polluting. An elevated boat launch is not needed. There are two alternative ramps within four miles. Fort Worden is not the right location for a launch for large motorized vessels.

Curtis White is a novelist and social critic, and member of the Fort Worden Neighborhood Advisory Committee.