This year Surfrider was proud to lead the Oregon Ocean Alliance's collective Ocean Lobby Day event at the Capitol in Salem. Coming together the week of Valentine's, we again ran with the Love Your Ocean theme, bringing together Surfrider and Ocean Alliance volunteers from around the state to convene meetings with legislators at the Capitol. We held meetings with 21 legislative offices, 12 in the House and 10 in the Senate throughout the day to educate on our key ocean legislative priorities. We also led our signature educational Lunch & Learn building new ocean champions by connecting and networking ocean science and workforce leaders to decision-makers in Salem - all while enjoying some local seafood from our abundant Oregon ocean!
Check out this highlight reel from our day at the Capitol!
Surfrider volunteers played a key role garnering support for 1.25% for the Wildlife (HB 4134), in particular from our coastal legislators. Bringing volunteers from coastal districts to talk about the their issues and interests with ocean and coastal conservation was a critical step in garnering their support.
Surfrider volunteers pose with Senator Dick Anderson following a meeting on our priorities. Anderson, a republican from District 5 on the coast was a critical swing vote for us on both the natural resource agencies' budgets and 1.25% for the Wildlife bill.
Nearly every office we met with reinforced their support for ocean and coastal programs, including protecting marine reserves and protected area funding in spite of the currently proposed cuts. Most importantly, they heard consistently from our coastal volunteers and students all day about the importance of our ocean resources, habitats and wildlife - building new ocean champions and increasing ocean literacy within the Capitol.
Students from Sunnyside Environmental School pose with Senator David Brock Smith, a legislator from the southern Oregon coast.
Nearly 50 students joined the Ocean Lobby Day, delivering ocean themed valentine's to legislators throughout the day.
Lastly, our second annual Lunch & Learn brought in 28 legislators and staffers from 24 different legislative offices, building new ocean champions by connecting and networking ocean science and workforce leaders to decision-makers in Salem. Food was provided by Local Ocean Seafoods and a massive thanks to our invited guests - Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon Sea Grant, Oregon State University, the Oregon Kelp Alliance, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Oregon Coast Visitor's Association who helped tie together various ocean, science and conservation workforce themes during the event.