'I don't have to wear clothes to fish. That's kind of unique'
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EUGENE, Ore. - The new No Trespassing signs on Lane County property have David Strahan all worked up.
"That seems to be the easiest knee jerk answer to them," said Strahan, who described himself as an open access activist. "We'll put some no trespassing signs up, and then nobody can go up there."
The signs mean foot access to Strahan's favorite park has just been cut off at Seavey Loop.
River access is still allowed however, and Strahan took KVAL News by boat to visit Glassbar Island, state-owned land in the Willamette River.
The trip isn't exactly easy, but it's legal.
Strahan has been coming here since the 1980s, putting in countless volunteer hours picking up trash and keeping invasive species at bay.
"I can stand there and fish all day, and I don't have to wear clothes to fish," Strahan said. "That's kind of unique in the state."
Clothing-optional since the 1960s, Glassbar Island Park has picnic tables, barbecues, posted park rules - even a bike rack, a curious feature at a park restricted to river access.
"During the Fourth of July, you'll have anywhere from 100 to 150 people out here just to come hang out," Strahan said.
But Strahan said most of those people will have to find somewhere else to go now that the area is restircted only to river access. Paths across county land are closed.
"I think the people who use the park, the people who volunteer hours here, should have say in it," Strahan told KVAL News, "and so far we haven't."
Why did the county put up the signs?
"As far as I know, Glassbar Island park, which is a state jurisdiction, has been a river-access park since the day it was created," said Sid Leiken, chair of the Lane County Commission.
Leiken said the county is now enforcing no trespassing along foot-access points in order to secure a grant to restore the area to a natural state.
Bonneville Power Administration offered Lane County and other landowners the funding opportunity that the county said will help "rehabilitate the land and protect if for future generations at no cost to Lane County taxpayers."
A county spokesman said access to the county owned property will be closed for a period of 10 years.
"So, we're not trying to cut off access to people," Leiken said. "They have access."
But only if they have a boat.
The Lane County Commission is holding a public meeting on Glassbar Island on March 19 at 9 a.m.
But 10 years seems like too long for it to be restricted. I hope they can resolve this issue sooner.  This is ten hot summers!!!
I am actually hoping that they'll reopen it with some new rules for Glassbar island. For one thing, I don't like sharing my swimming area with Pitbulls and mangy Cocker Spaniels. And, I wouldn't mind if they made it a rule for everyone to wear at least something to cover their private parts below the waist. ( Even the American Indians who were here before us had enough decency to wear animal skins to cover themselves.) Yet Eugene desperately needs more outdoor areas set aside for swimming. The summers get really hot so this park should be re-established for heterosexuals again too. I feel like the gay rights movement has been given too much power and now regular people get bullied by the gays' "rights." (This is the type of violence that I experienced at the glassbar island. ( Not only sexism but sexual preference biased sexism too) I felt like the area was some sort of platform for the power competitions
between who gets to "own" the beach.Â
If this island is part of the Willamette River Greenway that Then goveror Wayne Morse and Bob Strabe started it was never meant to have anything but river access.
 I learned this on an OPB program called Oregon Outdoors. There are several of these parks between Springfield and Portland. There would have been more but Oregon had problems purchasing land from farmers and land owners, it was a big mess.
@J. McAlpine part of what you say is true, some of the parks in the Willamette Greenway are water access only. But many many more are hike, bike,float and even wheelchair accessible This site has a long history (Coryell pass, Applegate trail) of foot access and even has state supplied bike racks, information signs oriented towards a access road (Frank Parish) .  Also, part of the Greenway act Guarantees (and encourages) access thru public land to the park.  I too saw the OPBS special, please dont believe all that you see in the media. I encourage you to do your Own research. Read the Greenway act in its entirety, and ask your self why so many pending changes to Urban growth boundaries Riparian set back laws, Metro plan and Greenway act (which is supposed to have periodic Citizen reviews)..  There are big changes planned in this area, lets not lose our wonderful riparian areas to development without open public comment and information.    I would encourage you to speak up at County Commissioners 2 meetings about this on the 19 of March..
During the years 2008 thru 2010 when I and other volunteers participated in cleanup events with the OPRD State Park's people that managed the Glassbar Island property and the County Waste Management people that managed the Seavey Loop county property we were never told we volunteers were illegally accessing the State's Glassbar property by walking to it via the county's property. Â So, if the access to the Glassbar property was 'always intended to be by boat' why was the State so silent when the volunteers were there for the annual cleanups. Â By the way, the State provided personnel and a dump truck to haul away the collected trash gathered on their property during these cleanups.
This area has NOT always been a boat access onl, as stated by Commissioner and clearly demonstrated by the dozens of cars parked along Seavey Loop rd any warm day. Thousands of people have been walking in and by here since pioneer days' (See Oregon Trail map) Â Hundreds of people swim, bike, hike, rock hound, bird watch and relax here annually as the well worn footpaths attest to. Â Â Â What is the Real story here?
 Why close a vacant 100' strip of locked parking lot?  What are the new 20' deep core drilling holes all over about?
  Is this the next gravel mine?      Ask your commissioners, see if you can get an answer...
"The Lane County Commission is holding a public meeting on Glassbar Island on March 19 at 9 a.m." Does that mean Glassbar Island is the topic of the meeting or does it mean the meeting will be held AT Glassbar Island. Literally, "on" the island?
@Ralph Forrest-Ball ,
 I believe he means to say a meeting on this subject will be held at County Commissioners on March 19 at 9 a.m.  Getting a boat to Glassbar island with this water level would be a challenge. It would be interesting to see the Commissioners try it tho..the reporter had to get wet to get there.
I wonder if it will be an open or closed session (special invite only?).
No, but you might want to be more careful with your hooks!
@TySteeleNEWS creative editing to ensure said story CAN air safely #liveonKVAL? #NSFKVAL?
@TravisMayfield, @TySteeleNEWS's story is pretty straight forward for #LiveonKVAL @ 5&6. Stripped bare, if you will.
@_tristancraig @TySteeleNEWS hahahahahah, love it!