AW Volunteer Jason Hartz just reported that there are three bills currently pending in the senate regarding river access, senate bill 423, senate bill 1014, and senate bill 1028. If you would like to get the text of these bills, and find out where they are now in the legislative process go to: http://www.leg.state.or.us/searchmeas.html, and enter both the bill’s number, and that it is a senate bill. That page will give you the bill’s text, and what committee its in, along with anything else that has happened
on the bill.
for direct links to each of the bills’ text go to:
senate bill 423: http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measures/sb0400.dir/sb0423.intro.html
senate bill 1014: http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measures/sb1000.dir/sb1014.intro.html
senate bill 1028: http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measures/sb1000.dir/sb1028.intro.html
The central issues for most boaters will likely be user fees: both 1014 and 1028 create user fees, 423 does not. Jason believes that Senate bill 423 is a better approach overall in that it affirms boater’s rights to use rivers, and it penalizes riverside landowners that interfere with this right. Jason noted, “I am not sure that it is perfect, but it is definitely something that could be worked with. This bill would be a step forward for river access, as opposed to the other bills which would both be a step back.”
to contact your legislators: http://www.vote-smart.org/ (enter your zip code to find out who your legislators are) It’s really important to contact your legislators, they will listen to you, especially if you are from their district!
The most effective time to comment on these bills is right now before they get a committee hearing, and testifying at the committee when the bill comes up for a public hearing.
AW will do what we can – but calls from Oregon residents and tourists are critical to this regional issue.
If you live in Oregon or paddler there, get involved!