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Oregon State Marine Board News
www.boatoregon.com
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PO Box 14145 Salem, OR
97309-5065
Media Contacts: Ashley
Massey
http:// www.boatoregon.com/News/index.html |
Phone: (503) 378-2623
Fax: (503) 378-4597
435 Commercial St. N.E., Salem, OR 97309
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For
Immediate Release |
Date:
Thursday, October 9, 2008 |
Marine Board Meeting in Bend to Decide on Proposed
Willamette River Rules
The Oregon State Marine Board will make a decision on
proposed rules for the Willamette River at their
quarterly meeting on October 14 at 1 p.m. The meeting
will be held at the Riverhouse Resort, 3075 N. Hwy 97,
in Bend.
The proposed rules for the Willamette River are from the
Hwy 219 Bridge at RM (river mile) 48.5 to the upper end
of Willow Island at RM 31.5. The proposed rules include:
(a) not operating a motorboat at a speed in excess of a
"Slow-No-Wake" maximum 5 mph speed within 100 feet of
private docks, boathouses or moorages legally permitted
by the Oregon Department of State Lands, and; (b) not
using wake-enhancing devices, including ballast tanks,
wedges or hydrofoils or other mechanical devices, or
un-even loading of persons or gear, to artificially
operate bow-high.
Other items on the agenda for the Board meeting include:
• Correcting language for a
rule adopted by the Board in October 2007 regarding
communication
for charter vessels.
• Director’s Report
• Consideration of Facilities
Grants
• Facility Program Report
• Law Enforcement Program
Report
• Education/Information
Program Report.
• Policy and Planning Staff
Report
The meeting is accessible for
persons with disabilities. Persons needing some form of
assistance to participate in this meeting due to a
disability should contact June LeTarte at 503-378-2617
by Monday, October 13. Persons wishing to address the
Board on non-agenda items may do so during the
designated period at the start of the meeting.
To view the agenda, visit
http://www.boatoregon.com/OSMB/programs/members.shtml
To view the this release in it's original form,
click here
to view the PDF.
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This is your chance to make a
difference. Take 5 minutes and submit an email
or letter to the Marine Board and the Governor’s
Office. The more people who do this, the more
chance we have to resolve this issue in another
way.
Do this for the
benefit of your boating and wakeboarding
community.
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1.
DO IT by 9pm on September 9th.
After that it doesn’t matter. |
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2.
Snail Mail it to these people:
Governor Kulongoski
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
Ms. June LeTarte
Oregon State Marine Board
PO Box 14145
Salem, Oregon 97309
Or…..
Email these people:
Oregon
State Marine Board (osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us)
Governor
Kulongoski (this is an interactive form
to fill out)
http://www.governor.state.or.us/Gov/contact_us.shtml |
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3.
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
MOST IMPORTANT:
We
do NOT want the Marine Board to
pass/approve the Proposed Rules in their
October Meeting. All of the proposed
rules (below) affect the Willamette
River from Canby to Newberg. Once these
rules are passed, they are very hard to
change or revoke.
NEW RULE PROPOSAL #1::
No Wake
Zone within 200 feet of all private
docks on the Willamette, from Canby to
Newberg
ALTERNATIVE #1:
an
alternative that would be acceptable to
most is a 100’ restriction (instead of
200’)
NEW RULE PROPOSAL #2:
No 180-degree turns at speed (Power
Turns)
ALTERNATIVE #2:
alternative that would be acceptable to
most is “no power turns for the PURPOSE
of creating a wake”
NEW RULE PROPOSAL #3:
No
Wake Enhancing Devices can be used in
the Willamette from Canby to Newberg
(Ballast systems, wedges, etc)
ALTERNATIVE #3:
recognize that all boats can create
damaging wakes, this portion of the
proposed rule will not be effective in
reducing dock damage or erosion. This
can be more effectively addressed
through additional public education,
suggest including education as part of
the Mandatory Boaters Card examination. |
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“SAVE WILLAMETTE RIVER
BOATING”
Rule changes by the
Oregon State Marine Board for the river from below Canby
(New Era Bar) to the Newberg Bridge has a final hearing
on Sept 9th , 7-9 pm at Clackamas Community
College in Wilsonville, Room 111-112.
“SAVE WILLAMETTE RIVER
BOATING” Organization will meet Wed. Aug. 20th,
7pm at Ray Klupenger’s home, 24885 NE
Butteville Rd. Aurora, I-5 exit 282B (Charbonneau)
and go 3 miles west. 503-504-0860 cell.
Earlier hearings had
over 70 comments sent in with a majority holding to the
rules listed. It is imperative that we get together and
gather info prior to the Hearing date. If you cannot
make it, please email or phone and put your name on the
list if you agree with the following statements:
1. “Staying 200’
from all docks” in the 17 mile congestion zone
will make many parts of the river 5 mph no wake
zones. Many sections of the river are only 400’ wide
between docks now. Staying 100’ from the docks is
reasonable and practical.
2. “No 180 degree turns” at cruise speed in
the 17 miles of waterway is too restrictive. Many
parts of the river have no docks and are wide enough
to make full turns and still stay 100’ from all
docks.
3. “No Wake Enhancing Devices and overloading
boats with people”. There is no way to enforce
this rule; it is all subjective and unrealistic to
police. The size of the boat alone can change the
wake size.
rayklupenger@centurytel.net
or phone 503-678-5519 and leave a message.
Also contact the
Marine Board and let them know your position:
Oregon State Marine Board
June LeTarte, OSMB,
PO Box 14145
Salem OR 97309
Or email
osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us
or Fax 503-378-4597
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BOATERS BEWARE
Rule Changes for the
lower Willamette River between Canby and Newberg.
Next public hearing is Sept 9th, 7-9 pm at Clackamas Community
College in Wilsonville. Room 111-112.
IMPORTANT TO ALL BOATERS - Public hearing issues that have been
addressed previously:
All boats required to use “5 mph no wake zone” has been
acceptable within 100 feet of a dock. 100’ is a reasonable
distance that can be managed. Keeping it at 200 feet would stop
all boating above 5 mph in many parts of the river because it is
only 400’ wide. Between docks where I live the distance is about
400’ wide, this would be a 5 mph no ski zone. In other places 2
passing boarders or skiers in the center of the river would be
unable to keep the 200’ required distance.
“THE POWER TURN” Changed numerous times. At the public hearing
it was presented as a sharp power turn to retrieve a fallen
boarder, skier, tuber only. Everyone understood this as a quick
turn in the river. Circling of a tuber or zigzagging a tuber has
now been restricted. In the last rule proposal the Marine board
came up with “NO 180 DEGREE TURNS” period, except to retrieve a
fallen person. This means all other boaters will have to stop,
turn around at 5 mph then, start up again to go the opposite
direction. There are many areas of the River where there are no
docks or obstructions, making it easy to turn while at cruising
or pulling speeds. Another flip-flop.
Wake enhancing devices have come up again. This is absolutely
off the mark. If my grand kids want 8 people in my boat while
cruising or boarding or tubing, they cannot do it without
getting a ticket? Does this mean the local sheriff is going to
inspect the single center planing plate (wedge) to see it is not
down? Will the ballast tanks have to be removed or a ticket will
be given? Or will the sheriff have to stop the boat and inspect
to find and see if water is in the ballast tanks? Will boats
have to be weighed to see if the correct weight-to-length+people
combination is held to the boater? This is an impossible task
for the sheriff’s office to govern. Has anyone checked with the
Sheriff Patrol? Another flip-flop.
4.Our Governor Ted Kulongoski’s Natural Recourses Policy
Director, Michael Carrier has now stepped in and advised the
Marine Board to take stronger steps to limit the environmental
damage done to the banks of the Willamette. At two of the public
hearings I attended, the Marine Board was not going to take
issue with the erosion question until an erosion study could be
completed. Funding had to be budgeted and the study made by
someone like Oregon State University. Another flip-flop.
5.
If you want to have river boating activities in the future,
attend this meeting Sept 9th and speak-up. If you cannot attend
then email the Marine board your comments to: Randy Henry email
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Randy.H.Henry@state.or.us
You can also write and send comments to the Marine board until
Sept 9th to:
Oregon State Marine Board
PO Box 14145
435 Commercial St NE #400
Salem Or 97309-5065
Ray Klupenger 503-504-0860
rayklupenger@centurytel.net
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