Rockaway reopens beach access trails

On April 23, Rockaway Beach officially removed signs blocking its beach access trails, ending an access moratorium forced by a legal ruling calling governmental recreational immunity into doubt.

The question was temporarily addressed by the Oregon legislature in this year’s session with a bill that allowed cities to pass ordinances reinstating their recreational immunity until the end of 2025.

Legislators have vowed to craft a permanent solution in next year’s long legislative session and the desire for additional opportunity for input by trial lawyers has been cited as the delaying factor.

After Rockaway Beach’s city council passed an ordinance opting into the temporary recreational immunity scheme at their April meeting, Councilor Mary McGinnis, Public Works Superintendent Dan Emerson and Planning Commission President Bill Hassell gathered on April 23, to help remove the signs.