Please take a minute to participate in Action Alert below and make your voice heard in Salem! The Oregon Legislature is considering two bills that would address point-source pollution in state waters. Senate Bill 317 (Right to Know) would require that “mixing zones” for persistent bioaccumulative toxins (e.g., PCB’s, lead, mercury) be indicated through signs and buoys. Senate Bill 737 (Reducing Toxics) would direct the Dept of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to phase out the discharge of bioaccumulative toxins at levels that may be harmful to aquatic life or human health. Please see link below and send an email to the Environment & Natural Resources Committee to let them know you care about water quality in our rivers and ocean! http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/oregon_waterqualitybills
Source to Sea: The Columbia River Swim will screen at the Savoy Theater in Port Orford on Wed, April 4th at 6pm. Admission is $5. Director Andy Norris will introduce the film and host a Q and A session following the screening. Surfrider is co-sponsoring the event and will have a raffle to benefit the water quality laboratory at Pacific High School. On July 1, 2003 Christopher Swain became the first person to swim the entire 1,243 mile length of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. His swim brought stories about the rivers disrupted ecosystems and dislocated peoples to a worldwide audience of millions.
April 3rd, 2007 Salem, Oregon 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Environmental Lobby day is a fun, interactive day, designed to provide you with detailed information on the key bills that are currently facing the legislature, in-depth training on the most effective ways to influence decision-making, and direct experience lobbying your legislators in Salem! Register with Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) www.olcv.org/
Portland Chapter’s Snowrider program is back in full swing for the winter season. The chapter is partnering with Mt Hood ski resorts to educate skiers and snowboarders on watershed issues. Snowrider will have a table at Timberline on March 24 and Mt Hood Meadows on April 7th. If you’re interested in helping out, please contact Kyle Silon kjsilon@gmail.com.
On March 13, the Oregon Marine Reserves Working Group met in Salem to discuss plans to expand the group to include additional stakeholders and members of the public. The work group is part of the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) and is charged with identifying alternatives for establishing a network of marine reserves in Oregon. They are seeking to add 8-10 members from the public, and a formal announcement for interested applicants will go out soon. It was great to learn that Oregon Chapter’s request for multiple slots representing the “ocean recreation” demographic (e.g surfers, kayakers, windsurfers, divers, kiteboarders, etc) has garnered significant support. More info on how to apply will be available soon. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Pete pstauffer@surfrider.org.
On December 9th, 2006, the fishing vessel Chevelle discarded 283 commercial crab pots at the Chetco River bar mouth during heavy weather. Most of these crab pots have yet to be removed, and many have drifted shoreward, threatening surf access and littering the beach. Surfrider activists on the south coast are working with agency staff and community leaders to get the problem fixed. Yesterday, we got some good news as State Parks has scheduled removal of the pots on the beach for late March. But still no solution yet for the remainder of the pots in the subtidal. Formal inquiries have been made to the US Coast Guard and Department of State Lands to determine jurisdiction for this issue. And many thanks to Surfrider members in Washington State for helping identify technical expertise and potential funding sources to support removal of this derelict gear.
The City of Cannon Beach has decided not to waive land use regulations that protect Oregon’s ocean beaches from development. On July 31, a beachfront property owner in Cannon Beach filed a Measure 37 claim to construct a motel on top of beach sand dunes long protected by the Oregon Beach Bill of 1967. While parts of the claim were accepted, the city ruled against authorizing development west of the vegation line, thus preventing construction on top of the beach. Hopefully, this decision will set a precedent for rejection of similar Measure 37 claims that threaten the Oregon Beach Bill of 1967. Thanks to our north coast volunteers who submitted written comments and/ or provided pro bono legal support. You rock!
Last week the kids at Pacific High School got there hands wet and learned how to use their new water quality equipment. PHS science teacher, Michael Smith, and students will be running the lab to learn more about the water quality around the Port Orford area. The students will be doing independent and group projects to identify water quality trends. Their efforts will also be part of a larger cooperative project to help define and better understand a marine stewardship area through the Port Orford Ocean Resource Team. Surfrider and local volunteers are needed to help collect samples on a monthly basis. Anyone interested should contact cplybon@surfrider.org.
