| OSMB News |
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| Government Island's New Boating Access Gem |
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For Immediate Release -9/22/09
On the spectacularly colorful morning of August 26, representatives from the Oregon State Marine Board, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Columbia River Yachting Association and other attendees converged on the newly completed, $2.4 million transient tie up facility, known as Sandy Beach on Government Island. But this was more than just a gathering and dedication from the various entities that contributed to the project. It was also a time to remember a person who gave so much of himself for the boating community; Jim Schwitter. A special memorial was erected in his honor.
The new Sandy Beach transient tie-up is something quite spectacular to come upon when boating upstream from Portland. Located on the north side of Government Island, the facility provides 2,600 feet of moorage space, a 240 foot aluminum gangway that leads onto a concrete landing and a first-rate, sky-lighted composting restroom off a paved pathway.
Tim Wood, Director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, began the dedication by thanking various partners, including the Port of Portland, who leases Government Island. Wood also thanked the Marine Board for the many boat facility improvement grants the Board has awarded to state parks around Oregon. Paul Donheffner, Director of the Oregon State Marine Board, spoke about the importance of this collaborative venture with federal and state agencies and other boating partners who were able to come together to make this facility a reality. “It’s important to provide transient tie up facilities conveniently located to metropolitan areas for boaters to enjoy. This is one boaters will be able to use for a long time,” Donheffner said. Jerry Novotny, Fisheries Section Chief for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also spoke to the funding aspect of the project. Novotny was instrumental in helping the Marine Board receive federal Boating Infrastructure Grant dollars toward the development of the Sandy Beach tie-up. Novotny congratulated the people in attendance for this new facility and said, “I’ve been all over and you have the best boating access program in the nation, with ‘A-1’ quality work. It’s exciting to see and be a part of this project that’s paid for by the boaters for the boaters.”
After the presenters concluded their speeches, the unveiling of the special memorial for former Columbia River Yachting Association (CRYA) Vice President James J. Schwitter occurred. The memorial awaits visitors at the entry of the gangway. This special memorial recognizes Schwitter’s contributions as an officer with CRYA from 1990 to 2003 and recognizes him as a lifelong supporter of new boating facilities throughout the region. During the dedication, a representative from CRYA, Mike Woods, described in beautiful detail the work that defined Jim Schwitter and the passion he had for boating-related issues. Members of his immediate family attended the dedication. There was a lot of genuine emotion and feelings of gratitude that permeated through those in the audience.
After the memorial unveiling, a single life ring at the gangway entry was lowered by CRYA Executive Vice President Doug Walker and Paul Donheffner, who invited attendees down to the transient floats for the newly dedicated facility.
The Marine Board applied for three federal grants for the Sandy Beach project beginning in 2003 for the composting toilets, one in 2004 for phase one of the transient floats and another in 2006 for the final phase of the floats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a total of $1,358,721 in Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) dollars toward the project; the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department contributed $349,689; and the Marine Board contributed $705,771 in state boater funds. Columbia River Yachting Association and the Columbia River Yacht Club raised $6,000 in donations toward this project.
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