page_title: Oregon Coast
section_title: Ecology
hierarchical_section_title: Oregon Coast / Ecology
caption_attribution_description: English: View of South Harris Beach and Mill Beach in Brookings, Oregon from Harris State Park.
context_page_description: The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately 362 miles from the California state border in the south to the Columbia River in the north. The region is not a specific geological, environmental, or political entity, and includes the Columbia River Estuary.
  The Oregon Beach Bill of 1967 allows free beach access to everyone. In return for a pedestrian easement and relief from construction the bill eliminates property taxes on private beach land and allows its owners to retain certain beach land rights.
  Traditionally, the Oregon Coast is regarded as three distinct sub–regions:
  The North Coast, which stretches from the Columbia River to Cascade Head.
  The Central Coast, which stretches from Cascade Head to Reedsport.
  The South Coast, which stretches from Reedsport to the Oregon–California border.
  The largest city is Coos Bay, population 16,700 in Coos County on the South Coast. U.S. Route 101 is the primary highway from Brookings to Astoria and is known for its scenic overlooks of the Pacific Ocean.
context_section_description: Because of the Oregon Coast's physical complexity, many different species of plant and animal can be found in the region, both terrestrial and marine in nature. However, past human interaction has caused a decline in several species of animal along the coast, such as the sea otter. Strict regulations as well as modern human aid has seen a return of some species in recent years.
  The Oregon Coast is the location of the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which consists of six wildlife refuges, covering 371 acres (1.50 km²), spread over a distance of 320 miles (515 km).
caption: Chetco Point, Brookings, Oregon
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