Greetings from Salem!

The Oregon Coastal Caucus met in Salem this week as part of the Legislative Committee week activities. The Caucus consists of legislators from both the House and Senate representing the Districts along the Oregon Coast.   We had a good meeting and discussed issues of importance to coastal communities and suggestions for legislation for upcoming Legislative Sessions.

The issue of Marine Reserves in Oregon’s Territorial Sea continues to be a focus for coastal residents and environmental entities.  HB 2009, the Marine Reserves legislation was not approved last session, now coastal lawmakers will work with Governor Kitzhaber as he looks at the next steps relating to Marine Reserves.

Ocean Energy also remains under discussion, the Department of Land Conservation and Development are still working on their Spatial Planning for Oregon’s territorial sea, which will help determine which sites are most suitable for ocean power devices as Oregon looks to our energy future.   

State budgets are tight, and there are many areas where financial investment is needed. Oregon State University is looking for funding support for the Research Vessel Wecoma which is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated under a cooperative agreement by OSU’s College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences.  Lawmakers will also continue to search for financial support for the OSU Marine Mammal Institute, and funding is also needed for ongoing OSU research into salmon diseases on the Klamath River.

We will be proposing a Legislative Resolution in support of the United States Coast Guard deployment of personnel and equipment in Kodiak, Alaska.  Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak’s primary mission is search and rescue in a 4 million square mile area off of Alaska’s Pacific Coast.   They also have the responsibility of patrolling the offshore fisheries which have become more accessible due to climate change and the loss of Artic sea ice.   The resolution would show Oregon’s support for Congressional action to restore needed equipment to the Coast Guard Group Kodiak, which while patrolling the huge Artic region, provides lifesaving services to many commercial fishermen from Oregon and other Northwest states.

There is interest among Caucus members about having more input into the executive appointments to the commissions and advisory panels that oversee the operation of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon State Forestry Department.  Currently the Governor makes appointments to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Oregon Board of Forestry, and those appointments are confirmed by the Oregon Senate.  Because the decisions that these panels make have so much impact on coastal communities, coastal caucus members will be working on an effort to be able to influence future appointments to these advisory boards.

Forest lands are also key to the health of the coastal communities, and the caucus discussed watershed accountability, and the National Environmental Defense Center’s lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Forestry.   Legal action by the NEDC seeks to force the department to require discharge permits for storm water runoff from logging roads in the Tillamook State Forest under the Clean Water Act.

The Legislative Interim period is a time for thoughtful discussion about issues of importance and to determine legislative strategies to address needed solutions.   If you would like to weigh in on topics of concern relating to House District 32, please contact my office in Salem.

Deborah Boone
State Representative District 32