New Coastal Recreation Study Will Help Inform Oregon Ocean Planning
Posted to Beach Access, Beach Preservation, Special Places on Mar-14-11.
The Surfrider Foundation has released a new report on ocean recreation in Oregon revealing that 80% of Oregonians visited the coast last year, generating an estimated $2.4 billion in expenditures.
The study, a collaboration between the Surfrider Foundation, Ecotrust, and NaturalEquity, investigated participation in activities such as surfing, kayaking, wildlife viewing, and beach going, as well as the economic expenditures related to these uses through a survey of 4,000 Oregonians.
The study also collected spatial – or geographic – information on activity use that will be used in Oregon’s Territorial Sea Plan (TSP) process to identify suitable locations for renewable energy development off Oregon’s coast. Information related to this process, including the final report from this study, is available to the public on Oregon’s ocean information website.
“The Surfrider study provides state agencies and the Ocean Policy Advisory Council with solid spatial data about a wide range of ocean recreational uses that contribute significantly to the coastal economy, and need to be considered as we create a plan for how we’ll use our ocean in the future,” said Paul Klarin, Marine Program Coordinator with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development.
Links to the full study report and executive summary, click below:
May 26th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
I am a Oregon Coastal resident, Ocean View property owner, Merchant Marine Officer, Waterman and 3rd generation Oregonian. I am interested in Ocean Energy and what Oregon stands to gain and to lose.
Questions must be answered and the people of Oregon must benefit prior to the start of any ocean energy projects.
What we could lose:
The legacy of Oregon’s great governors. Oswald West and Tom McCall gave all Oregonians and visitors access to it’s beaches and the Pacific Ocean. The views and vistas that we have all come to enjoy. Home owners and businesses, their property values in affected areas. Environmental damage and erosion due to near shore wave power generators. Disruption of fish habitat and the fishing industry both sport and commercial. Clamming and changes to habitat due to shifting of sand caused by wave power generation.
What we could gain:
Multiple sources of clean renewable power.
Jobs for Oregon workers building and maintaining power systems, structures and vessels.
We could create Exportable hardware and technology.
I am not a proponent or opposed to Ocean Energy projects at this time.
If Oregon would benefit from the construction of the semi-submersible platforms (vessels, built in the US to ABS standards) that would be built at Oregon yards and wind turbines, blades and towers that were built in the Northwest. It would be a strong incentive to be for such a project.
If the semi-submersible platforms were built off-shore and not to ABS standards and USCG inspections and maintained with local dry-docks I would be opposed to such ventures. We must see that the Jones Act applies to any vessels to be placed in the US territorial sea.
We also must know how many jobs will be permanent. If this were to create only a few maintenance jobs as balanced against the loss of fishing, tourism and property values it is not a fair trade.
Oregon has to attract new energy intensive high tech business to the coastal areas to use this source of power.
My fear is that all too often such projects are beyond public comment by the time the public is aware of what they are about to lose. This projects location also seems to skip other suitable areas which would have impact on more tourist and higher land value areas.
Please remember that this is government subsidized with incentives and tax breaks. Please do not let the American people pay for technology and hardware from off-shore.
Thank you,
Gregory M. Gosser
P.O. Box 200
Rockaway Beach, Oregon 97136