On Sunday, May 18th, the Surfrider Coos Bay Chapter hosted an Envisioning Coos Bay event at 7 Devil’s Community Room, in collaboration with community partners Rogue Climate and Oregon Shores. This gathering brought together around 50 local residents to share their social and environmental values, as well as their personal connections to the Coos Bay estuary and the nearshore ocean environment. Sponsored by Surfrider, the event served as a space for open dialogue and collective reflection on what makes this coastal region special—and what the community hopes to see in its future.
The event centered around a series of place-based conversations designed to ground participants in their lived experiences with the estuary and nearshore areas. Attendees were encouraged to reflect on what brings them joy in these natural spaces—whether it was fishing, surfing, teaching, or experiencing major life moments—and to express those connections through a collaborative mapping activity. Six large maps of the estuary were stationed throughout the room, where participants left sticky notes marking places of significance with personal messages like “I love to fish here,” or “I proposed to my wife here.” Following this interactive exercise, the group explored possible future scenarios for the region, culminating in the creation of a values-based word cloud that captured the community’s shared vision and priorities.
Looking ahead, the insights and stories gathered at the event offer a deeply qualitative foundation for understanding what matters most to the Coos Bay community. The next phase will involve translating this emotional and narrative-rich data into more academic and quantitative frameworks that can guide future conservation and planning efforts. As Coos Bay continues to confront large-scale proposals—such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure or estuary modifications—the importance of proactive, values-driven community engagement becomes increasingly clear. Events like Envisioning Coos Bay highlight the power of joy, connection, and local knowledge in shaping a future that honors both the ecological integrity and the lived experiences tied to this beloved coastal landscape.
