World Photo by Susan Chambers
A sign at the Charleston Visitors Center opposes creating a marine reserve at Cape Arago. Most Charleston business owners were surprised to hear of a proposal for a reserve at the cape and have put together petitions against the reserve nomination by the environmental group Our Ocean.
FLORENCE — It was likely a preview of what’s to come today and Friday at the Ocean Policy Advisory Council meeting in Florence. About 150 South Coast residents gathered in Bandon on Wednesday night to go on record against the idea of a marine reserve at Cape Arago.
They spoke in opposition to the idea of marine reserves in general.
This week, ocean council members will review 20 proposals for marine reserves — areas in which no fishing or other activity could take place — and less-restrictive marine protected areas associated with them. They will hear state agencies’ reviews of the proposals and listen to public testimony.
Several state lawmakers, including Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, and Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg, attended the Bandon meeting. Other local and county officials also were in the audience at Bandon. Coos County Commissioner John Griffith, who’s an OPAC member, listened to what residents had to say, as did fellow OPAC member and recreational fisherman Jim Pex.
While the debate raged in Bandon, other OPAC members arrived in Florence on Wednesday night in preparation for today’s meeting at the Florence Events Center at 715 Quince St.
Of the 150 attendees, only a handful were supporters of marine reserves, said Wayne Butler, owner of Prowler Charters in Bandon.
Butler said that even though there are 20 proposals, including one proposal for a network of eight by the environmental coalition Our Ocean, the issue may face even more opposition when it comes time for the Oregon Legislature to consider funding the reserves. Coastal lawmakers have hinted they are hesitant to push for something not supported by coastal residents, he said.
But that shouldn’t stop the public from making sure its voice is heard.
“We don’t want to lay down and rely on it,” Butler said. “We want to continue to voice our opinion.”
OPAC members said they have been getting a lot of e-mails regarding marine reserves in the past couple weeks. Early on, many of the comments were against the reserves but several lately have been in support of marine reserves.
Several Charleston-area businesses have come out against the marine reserve proposed at Cape Arago and circulated petitions aimed at letting OPAC — and Gov. Ted Kulongoski — know that there is little local support for the proposal.
OPAC has scheduled to take public testimony about five hours on Friday. Speakers will be limited to three minutes apiece.
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It is extremely difficult to think about conservation when one's livelihood is dependent upon the resource. Still, I find the State of Oregon's Department of Fish and Game's health warnings for consumption to be disturbing. According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/standards/fish.htm), Human Health Focus Group, approximately 10% of Oregonians are at risk for health effects from over-consumption beyond the state guidelines. The children of our state are even more vulnerable.
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