Thanks to all of our volunteers for there amazing work in 2011! Here’s to another great year!

It’s officially that season where the rain starts to flow and maybe so does your nose and hind-end after a surf in the soupy runoff. Yes, it’s true that the majority of pollution entering our oceans that make us sick comes from our rain and storm water runoff. This stuff picks up nasty bacteria along the way from various sources, entering the ocean and can often give us surfers and ocean enthusiasts a nasty infection. Never fear, we’re testing and sampling recreational beaches even where the state’s beach monitoring program isn’t able to currently test through our Blue Water Task Force Program. This past month we reclaimed south coast sampling efforts through our teach and test work with the Driftwood Middle School  and Pacific High School students. We couldn’t do this without the stellar leadership and cooperation of Driftwood teacher Fred Betz and Pacific High teacher Curt Gault. Major karma points and high fives to these fellas! Check out the quick slideshow of the recent field trips and training. Wanna get involved or just learn more about our various Blue Water Task Force programs up and down the coast? Go here to learn more or connect with a volunteer coordinator! Results are posted regularly here.  Know before you go!

For the past 5 years, the Oregon Chapters have had the great benefit of having legal and policy support from a Legal Clerk position. This position originated in the Portland Chapter when they decided that they wanted to help support statewide efforts and better connect with emerging leaders with expertise in ocean law and policy. The previous law clerks have all come from Lewis and Clark Law School and played a very active role with the Portland Chapter, and several of them have gone on to become Chapter leaders and awesome activists in their own right. This year, we decided to hire a candidate from the University of Oregon School of Law for the first time with the desire for the position to help us engage our Eugene membership on a deeper level and better connect with the UO. Emily Johnson was the chosen candidate from a field of very highly qualified candidates. Emily originally comes from Iowa, having studied Business Management at Iowa State University with minors in Biology and Political Science. Her previous experience includes working with the Trustees for Alaska this past summer. In her spare time, Emily enjoys kayaking and SCUBA diving. Please join us in welcoming Emily to the Oregon Surfrider Team!

Last year, President Obama established the National Ocean Policy to help protect and restore our nation’s oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. The policy is already being implemented and is improving collaboration between government agencies, scientists, ocean users, and members of the public. Oregon is being viewed as an emerging leader for successful implementation of this policy with our collaborative efforts to amend our Territorial Sea Plan currently underway. Unfortunately, some Members of Congress are attempting to stop the National Ocean Policy with a backdoor attack through an FY12 Interior Appropriations bill. Halting implementation of the policy would reduce our nation’s capacity to protect and restore our ocean and coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend upon them. Please make your voice heard and ask your Senators and Representative to support the National Ocean Policy and oppose any proposal that would restrict its funding or implementation. Participate in our action alert today by clicking here.

It’s well known in the Oregon surfing community that Spencer Reynolds does some beautiful artwork. Check out Spencer’s new website here. In celebration of International Surfing Day, Spencer is generously donating 25% of online print sales from June 20-25th to the Oregon Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation. Get a few pieces to help beautify your home today, and help support the continued protection and enjoyment of Oregon’s ocean, waves and beaches at the same time. Kudos Spencer!

Big props to our assistant environmental director Mark Rauscher whose been leading the charge with state of the beach author and coastal management coordinator Rick Wilson on our newly launched Beachapedia site. The main site is now up to almost 250 pages with definitions of coastal terms or fully developed articles on important topics, all categorized by subject matter.  We’re constantly coming across little tidbits to add to articles, and I hope that you all will help us continue to grow and improve what we think is the world’s largest collection of coastal environmental information.  Please take a few minutes to visit www.beachapedia.org.

We also have now integrated the entire State of the Beach Report into Beachapedia.  The Report has it’s own section with specialized navigation to help you find all the info you need about your state’s coastal management program.  Easily get to your state’s pages from the front of the site. Please check out the site and let us know your thoughts or register to start contributing!

In 2005, the Surfrider Foundation set an ambitious goal to attain 150 coastal victories by the end of 2010.  On December 1st, we successfully achieved this milestone when the Obama administration announced that it would ban new offshore drilling in the continental United States for the next 7 years; capping a two-year effort by the Foundation to restore coastal protection lost in 2008.

The Surfrider Foundation originally set the 150-victory goal as a way to measure success on the ground.  Surfrider Foundation defines a coastal victory as an official decision made in favor of the coastal and ocean environment that results in a positive conservation outcome, improves coastal access, or both.

“Achieving such a monumental goal is a true testament to our organization and the volunteers who have given up countless hours of their time to help protect our beaches and coastlines for the benefit of everyone, everywhere,” says Surfrider Foundation’s CEO Jim Moriarty.

Oregon’s only dedicated funding source for beaches, rivers, streams, parks and wildlife habitat was set to expire in 2014. But this election day, voters overwhelmingly passed ballot measure 76 dedicating 15% of Oregon Lottery proceeds to our parks and fish and wildlife habitats. For the year 2011, this means something like 87 million dollars. Oregon beaches are unique coastal environments with ecological, recreational, and economic value. Our coast is a public resource, and in Oregon, it all belongs to all of us. All 362 miles of our Oregon beaches are maintained and protected by the Oregon Parks System. Responsible coastal management requires sustainable, long term planning and preservation of beach environments including public access to them. This is why the Oregon Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation enthusiastically supported to turning out the vote for a yes on Measure 76. And tonight, with all of your support and those of many other organizations and coalition members, we directly supported the beaches where we surf, fly a kite or simply spend time with our families. Our beaches depend not only on preserving our coasts, but on the quality of the water that feeds into our ocean. Oregon’s beaches, marshes, estuaries and the ocean depend on clean water.  Measure 76 continues crucial funding to ensure continued and expanded coastal access & recreational enjoyment of some of Oregon’s most special places, for today and beyond. This funding also helps to restore our watersheds, protecting and improving water quality, says Gus Gates, Oregon Policy Coordinator for Surfrider Foundation. Thank you Oregon activists and voters, says blogger Charlie!

Did you know that here in Oregon we maintain 6 Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) water quality labs, manned and powered by our volunteers and activists from various chapters and areas up and down the coast? So what is our BWTF program? Simply put, it’s a citizen-based, volunteer run water quality monitoring program. Our chapters and volunteers partner with schools, aquariums, watershed councils and various other groups to help monitor water quality along Oregon beaches (nearly 40 different sites!) and advocate for healthy, clean beaches for us all to enjoy. Want to get involved, here’s how:

Astoria Lab - Monitoring from Short Sands to Ft. Stevens – contact Tim Roth

Depoe Bay Lab – Monitoring from Roads End to Depoe Bay – contact Larry Brammer

Newport Lab – Monitoring from Otter Rock to South Beach – contact Frank De Filippis

Siuslaw/Florence Lab – Monitoring from Driftwood Shores to Florence south jetty – contact Mark Chandler

Charleston Lab – Monitoring from Winchester Bay to Coos Bay – contact George Tinker

Port Orford Lab – Monitoring from Garrison Beach to Hubbards – contact Stephanie Webb

Go Here to get results and check out a map of all our testing locations.