Wash Post — Free the beaches, before it’s too late

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s outing on a beach closed to the public is part of a broader debate about who gets to visit America’s beaches. (Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media via AP)

Aug 3, 2017

By Andrew W Kahrl — America's beaches are for everyone. Let's keep them that way.

While Oregon is celebrating 50 years of public beach access with a party this summer, disgruntled New Jersey residents are still fuming over images of Gov. Chris Christie and his family enjoying the Fourth of July holiday weekend on a beach he had ordered closed to the public.

For many Americans, it is the now-infamous Christie image, rather than the celebratory tone of Oregon, that captures what has become an all-too-familiar scene along the nation’s shorelines in the summer: A select few enjoy spacious, well-manicured beaches all to themselves, while everyone else scrambles to find a place where they can lay down a towel on overcrowded and often poorly maintained public beaches.

Despite being guaranteed by the Public Trust Doctrine, Americans’ right to enjoy their seashores has never been more under threat. From California to New Jersey, private property owners have deployed security measures, and wealthy seaside towns have removed parking spaces and imposed stiff fees to keep the public away from its most prized possession: the beach.

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