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: