REEDSPORT — Most of the comments had been made before.

“You’re putting the cart before the horse.”

“Our whole coast is basically a marine protected area.”

“This is ridiculous. ... You can’t put state police on the highways. How are you going to patrol the ocean?”

“Wouldn’t a pilot project be cheaper?”

Oregon Sea Grant Extension agents Ginny Goblirsch and Jeff Feldner listened patiently Tuesday night as a packed room of interested people shared their thoughts on the governor’s plan to establish a system of no-take marine reserves in Oregon’s territorial sea. It was the fifth session the two, with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources Program Manager Patty Burke and Oregon State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Associate Professor Selina Heppell, conducted in coastal communities over the past few days.

As in the other sessions, such as the one held in North Bend, Burke provided a background and overview of marine reserves and Oregon’s process for establishing them. Heppell provided a scientific context for marine reserves, detailing what can and cannot be learned from marine reserves and discussing past studies and how they might relate to Oregon’s proposed system.

But it wasn’t like the audience to sit quietly and simply listen. Many fishermen — both sport and commercial — asked many questions, voiced several opinions.

One woman wanted to know how many people in the room were supportive of marine reserves so she could write the answer down on one of the provided comment cards.

Fewer than three of the 70 or so people tentatively raised their hands, but before more folks could answer, Feldner interrupted. The five specific questions posed to the audience were designed to get honest answers, he said.

“We didn’t want just a yes or no,” Feldner said. “We wanted your thoughts.”

A few in the audience have become accustomed to working through local and state processes on other issues, such as the potential for wave energy. Comments centered around discussions about wave energy were repeated at the Reedsport meeting, but in reverse: Is the marine reserves process also considering the cumulative effects of wave energy? And what about potential restricted areas due to liquefied natural gas tankers or container ships?

Burke and Feldner both said that currently, all those issues are taking different tracks, working through separate processes.

The Ocean Policy Advisory Council, which provides advice to the governor about ocean issues, has started work on studies to consider the cumulative impacts of different ocean uses. It also is considering updating Oregon’s Territorial Sea Plan so that these issues can be considered comprehensively. But it’s still in the working stages.

One question often repeated was: Can the governor do this on his own?

“No,” Feldner said.

First, after public nominations are reviewed, the Department of State Lands would have to come up with boundaries for specific areas. The State Land Board — comprising the governor, the secretary of state and the state treasurer — would have to approve the sites.

Then the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife would come up with regulations regarding fishing in those areas. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission — a citizen commission, Feldner said — would have to approve the regulations.

Burke said other agencies also may become involved, depending on other criteria, but in no way does the governor have the sole say in establishing reserves.

One overwhelming question was why?

“The general public down here doesn’t want marine reserves,” sport fisherman Wayne Hildebrand said. “It’s all being pushed by the governor.”

Heppell said some people may be under the impression marine reserves may be science driven, but they’re not. Instead, it’s the general public’s concern about the oceans. Television shows may show trouble with the world’s oceans, but that’s on a completely different level, she said. That’s worldwide, broad scale.

This is local — and there aren’t the same threats to territorial sea waters there are in other places.

“There’s this disconnect that’s happening,” Heppell said.