79A.05.600 - Declaration of principles. - Washington Statutes

Declaration of principles.

The beaches bounding the Pacific Ocean from the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River constitute some of the last unspoiled seashore remaining in the United States. They provide the public with almost unlimited opportunities for recreational activities, like swimming, surfing and hiking; for outdoor sports, like hunting, fishing, clamming, and boating; for the observation of nature as it existed for hundreds of years before the arrival of Europeans; and for relaxation away from the pressures and tensions of modern life. In past years, these recreational activities have been enjoyed by countless Washington citizens, as well as by tourists from other states and countries. The number of people wishing to participate in such recreational activities grows annually. This increasing public pressure makes it necessary that the state dedicate the use of the ocean beaches to public recreation and to provide certain recreational and sanitary facilities. Nonrecreational use of the beach must be strictly limited. Even recreational uses must be regulated in order that Washington's unrivaled seashore may be saved for our children in much the same form as we know it today.

[2009 c 549 § 1029; 1967 c 120 § 1. Formerly RCW 43.51.650.]

Notes: Repeal and savings -- 1967 c 120: "Chapter 78, Laws of 1929 (uncodified) is hereby repealed: PROVIDED, That the title of anyone who has purchased property under this act shall not be affected." [1967 c 120 § 10.]