Oregon State Marine Board Continues Dialogue With Non-Motorized Boaters
Posted: 09/03/2014
By: Thomas O'Keefe
After an initial round of meetings, earlier in the summer, the Oregon State Marine Board has announced that they will be doing another round of meetings and continue to seek feedback on the needs of the non-motorized boating community. We encourage those who paddle in Oregon to provide feedback.
Non-motorized boaters are invited to join the Oregon State Marine Board agency staff and
Non-Motorized Advisory Committee members for an evening of dialog about boating needs in your
area that better support your activities out on the water. Scheduled listening session will focus
on boating access, on-the-water safety, education, information outreach, and funding options to
support these services.
"We heard a lot of great ideas at our first round of meetings in June," says Director
Scott Brewen. "But some boaters may not have been able to attend those meetings, so we want
to offer more opportunities to make sure we truly understand the needs that are out there."
Brewen continued, "This process was initiated by boaters through their input to our
Strategic Plan in 2011, and the common issue from motorized and non-motorized boaters alike was
how to integrate non-motorized boaters’ needs and participation into agency
operations."
If you can not attend a meeting please fill out the survey:
Six meetings are scheduled from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the following locations:
Salem
September 17, 2014
Marine Board Office
435 Commercial St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Newport
September 29, 2014
Yaquina Bay Yacht Club (Clubhouse)
750 SE Bay Blvd.
Newport, OR 97365
Scappoose
October 2, 2014
Scappoose Bay Kayaking Adventures
57420 Old Portland Rd.
Warren, OR 97053
Madras
October 28, 2014
Jefferson County Annex
Commissioner’s Meeting Room
66 SE D St.
Madras, OR 97741
Klamath Falls
October 29, 2014
Klamath Community College
Building 6, 1st Floor
7390 South 6th St.
Klamath Falls, OR 97603
Corvallis
November 3, 2014
Benton County Sheriff Office
SW Side of Building, 1st Floor
180 NW 5th Street
Corvallis, OR 97330
Learn More
Comments from the prior listening sessions and the Non-Motorized Advisory Committee’s
recommendations can be viewed at:
http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/admin/strategicplan.aspx#Non-Motorized_Boating_Team_and_External_Advisory_Committee.
The input being collected will serve as a baseline for the potential development of a
non-motorized boater program that will be compiled into a comprehensive report with
recommendations and funding source options to present to the Marine Board in July of 2015.
The process and all documentation will be posted on the Marine Board website’s strategic
planning page, as well as the activities being implemented by other external advisory committees.
To learn more, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/admin/strategicplan.aspx.
Questions
Questions in the survey include the following. Consider these questions before attending a
listening session or filling out the survey. If you have thoughts or perspectives you wish to
share with American Whitewater as we consider developing written comments, we welcome the input.
1. At which location did you attend our Non-Motorized Listening Session, if any?
2. What was the date of the session?
3. Access: How are you entering the water? What infrastructure/facilities are most needed
and/or desired by your user group? Are additional access points needed or desired? What are the
impediments to your use at current facilities?
4. Safety: What are the most important issues of safety concerning non-motorized boaters for
access, in-water activity, facilities and infrastructure?
5. Education and Information: What are the best tools and delivery mechanisms for educating the
general public and your user group about boater safety, rules and regulations? Is there any
additional information that the Marine Board should provide to the public?
6. The purpose of the listening sessions were to:
1) Inform the public about OSMB’s Mission and strategic goals and,
2) Engage with non-motorized boater communities about their needs and interests around access,
safety and education; and to begin a dialogue about a user pay-user benefit system for a
Non-Motorized boater program.
How useful were the following?
- Public Engagement Meeting and Process Overview
- Oregon State Marine Board Overview
- Interactive Small Group Discussions
7. Was there enough opportunity for you to:
Ask questions?
- Express your views?
- Learn from others?
- Engage in useful dialogue?
- Have your input acknowledged?
8. The Non-Motorized Advisory Committee explored ideas for a user pay-user benefit structure to
fund the Marine Board’s services to non-motorized boating. As a non-motorized boater, and
considering the benefits you may receive, what is a reasonable pay structure? Do you agree with
the ideas proposed by the Advisory Committee? If not, do you have other suggestions?
Thomas O'Keefe
3537 NE 87th St.
Seattle, WA 98115
E-mail: okeefe@americanwhitewater.org
Phone: 425-417-9012
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