OLCV Talk

Oregon Senate Passes Marine Reserves Bill 24-3!

The Oregon Senate passed HB 3013A just now, on a 24-3 vote. Senators Johnson and Kruse carried the bill on the floor. Sens. Ferrioli, George, and Girod voted against; Sens. Boquist, Carter, and Walker were excused. The bill now heads to the Governor for his signature.

The bill relates to OCN’s Priority for a Healthy Oregon, Marine Reserves. It outlines a detailed plan and timeline to complete evaluation of six potential marine reserve sites recommended by the Governor’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council. The bill establishes two pilot marine reserve projects at Otter Rock near Depoe Bay and Redfish Rocks near Port Orford and prescribes a process to evaluate the potential for reserves in four other areas of the coast.

The bill outlines a balanced and diverse procedure for the planning of Oregon’s new marine reserves, including the development of regional community groups that will assist with the shaping of potential marine reserve sites: Cape Falcon north of Manzanita, Cascade Head north of Lincoln City, Cape Perpetua south of Yachats and Cape Arago-Seven Devils south of Coos Bay.

The Governor and the Co-Chairs of Ways and Means Committee have included this bipartisan bill in each of their budgets, identifying surplus settlement funds to be used from the grounding of the New Carissa cargo ship. Sponsors and supporters agree that funds generated from an oil spill settlement should be used for marine science and conservation.

Run Run Run Run - Busy Day in the Legislature!

What's up today?

The Oregon House will probably vote on HB 3298, the Metolius Protection Act, around 1pm.

The Oregon Senate may vote on HB 3013, a consensus bill on marine reserves, an OCN priority - if they get to it. If passed, these bills head to the Governor's desk for signing.

Meanwhile, the House Rules Committee is taking up SB 596, an effort to ban a bioaccumulative toxin from Oregon, and the Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee is scheduled to hear the Water Resources Department budget (SB 5551) and a bill to increase cost recovery by the department, increasing various fees (SB 788), and a bill to create the underlying structure for the uber-cool EEAST program to fund energy improvements (HB 2626).

Busy day!

Countdown to 2009

Countdown to the 2009 Legislative Session that is...

The first day of session is January 12 and we can't wait to get to work.

We'll be working on critical environmental legislation as a member of the Oregon Conservation Network (OCN), a coalition of fifty of Oregon’s leading environmental groups. 

Implement Global Warming Solutions We must take action to reduce global warming pollution, which if left unchecked will lead to increased forest fires, water shortages, and major disruptions to our economy. The Legislature should place a mandatory, declining cap on global warming pollution.

Promote Water Conservation Farmers, fishermen, cities, businesses and local communities all need adequate water supplies to thrive. It’s our responsibility to ensure a legacy of healthy rivers for everyone and everything that depends on them

Preserve Oregon’s Coastal Legacy Global warming, pollution, increasing population, and coastal development are taking a toll – and our ocean’s future health is at risk. The Legislature should create a system of marine protected areas and reserves in Oregon’s Territorial Sea.

Increase Transportation Options As the Oregon Legislature considers new transportation investments, we must make sure to use more efficient land use planning and invest in transportation options. This will reduce the amount of time Oregonians spend in traffic, improve our health, and reduce the amount we spend on gas.

Ensure New Energy Supplies are Responsible Liquefied natural gas (LNG) emits 20-30% more global warming pollution than domestic natural gas. LNG terminals planned for Oregon would mainly send gas to California, which has rejected LNG because of safety and environmental concerns.

Stop the Spread of Invasive Species Oregon must take action to stop the spread of invasive plant, animal, and aquatic species. The Legislature should require boats entering the state be cleaned, to prevent the introduction of invasive snails and mussels into Oregon’s waterways.

Learn more about our Priorities for a Healthy Oregon.

To stay up to date on our priorities and other environmental bills during the session, sign up for SalemWatch, our legislative e-newsletter.

Fun with Maps -- Marine Reserves

As Oregon looks to create a system of marine reserves and marine protected areas, some fishermen are speaking out. Last Tuesday's Oregonian had this article about a group of Port Orford fishermen eager to create their own to increase the numbers of fish. 

Our Ocean, a broad coalition of groups, is calling for a comprehensive network of protected areas. Susan Allen, the coalition director, said "the (human) population is only going to increase, and more pressure is going to be put on the near shore." The Ocean Policy Advisory Committee is meeting October 7th to discuss a process for evaluating the proposals.

Check out the maps of all the public's proposed reserves and protected areas.

Macpherson Calls on Oregon to Protect Coastal Waters

Representative Greg Macpherson (D-Lake Oswego) eloquently called upon the state to adopt marine reserves in today's "Mac Report" to constituents:

"Oregon leads the nation in protecting its natural resource lands. Our comprehensive land use planning system prohibits most development outside urban growth boundaries. But no such protections extend to the ocean waters along the state's coastline.

The first three nautical miles from the shore constitute Oregon's "territorial sea". This public property belongs to all of us. As a state representative, I'm responsible for looking after it.

The submerged continental shelf and the waters above it are one of the most productive regions of the state. In healthy coastal waters, kelp and other sea plants grow abundantly. Shellfish attach to boulders. Bottom dwelling vertebrate fish grow to maturity there before moving into the deep ocean.

But like any natural resource, Oregon's coastal waters can suffer from human activities. Past over-fishing has depleted stocks we depend on for a key protein source. Anything that disturbs plants and smaller fish in these waters weakens the low-end of the food chain. Mistreated areas can turn into water-filled deserts.

In recent years countries around the world have adopted a new method for protecting coastal waters - marine reserves. Activities that remove animals and plants or alter habitats are prohibited inside the reserves. Examples of prohibited activities are fishing, aquaculture, dredging, and mining. Boating, swimming, and scuba diving are usually allowed in marine reserves.

Restrictions on fishing to allow depleted stocks to recover are not new. But historically these have been narrower in scope and apply for only a limited time. By contrast, marine reserves provide complete and permanent protection.

Scientific studies show that marine reserves substantially improve the health of coastal waters they cover. The sheer volume of plants and animals, known as biomass, increases several-fold. The number of plant and animal species nearly doubles. The average body size of fish and the number of species also increases.

The U.S. lags behind several other countries in establishing marine reserves. Australia, Spain, even the Philippines have done more. Most U.S. marine reserves are located in Florida and southern California. Washington State now has several.

Oregon currently is the only west coast state with no marine reserves. The legislature has the opportunity to change this when it convenes next January. Strategic placement of reserves along the Oregon coast would improve the health of our ocean ecosystem.

Any proposal to restrict human activity in natural resource areas faces resistance. Operations that depend on coastal fish stocks fear losing access. Commercial fishermen must bring in a catch in order to repay loans for boats and equipment.

Marine reserves should be located and sized to balance these needs with the restoration they provide. Done right, they will improve the resources commercial and recreational fishing depends on. And the reserves will act like a savings account, providing more resilience to the fragile nearshore ecosystem.

But fishing isn't the only resource to consider. As we cut our dependence on imported oil, waves along the coast offer a potential source of renewable energy. The placement and size of marine reserves must accommodate this resource too.

Most Oregonians' experience with coastal waters consists of what they can see in a walk on the beach. But a healthy ocean also sustains roughly $1 billion in coastal economies. We all have a stake in how this resource is used. With care and foresight, Oregon can be a leader in ocean use planning as well as land use planning."

More about Marine Reserves