The new effort to increase the state’s investment in the Oregon Marine Protected Areas Program came on the heels of a signing ceremony for House Bill 4132, a bipartisan bill sponsored by the Oregon Coastal Environmental Legislators.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Rep. David Gomberg (Democrat, 10th District) hosted a ceremony at the state capitol in Salem on May 30.
The Oregon Marine Alliance celebrated a renewed commitment to marine conservation established more than a decade ago for wildlife and marine ecosystems off the coast of Oregon.
Approximately 9 percent of Oregon’s waters (0-3 miles from the coast) are designated as marine sanctuaries or marine reserves within the state’s program as important areas for whales, seals, sea lions, fish, coral and other marine animals.
“Our state’s marine protected areas program conducts vital research to understand changing ocean conditions and engages coastal communities in ocean stewardship,” Gomberg said. “I’m pleased to finally make additional investments to strengthen the five marine protected areas we established more than a decade ago. This new effort is a meaningful step toward better engaging with coastal tribes and fisheries and will help us implement the Oregon way of marine conservation.”
The purpose of this program
Oregon’s Marine Protected Areas program includes two designations: marine sanctuaries, where all development is prohibited, including no taking of fish or other marine life, and marine reserves, where most development is prohibited but sustainable fishing activities occur.
The protected area stretches along the Oregon coast and includes Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Cape Perpetua and Redfish Rocks. More than 30 species of marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles and fish found off the Oregon coast are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.
“Oregon’s waters are home to incredible wildlife and magnificent marine ecosystems, and it is more important than ever to protect these critical areas,” said Tara Block, legal director and senior counsel at Oceana Pacific. “Science shows that marine sanctuaries and protected areas are key tools for strengthening ocean resilience and the long-term health of marine life in the face of climate change, plastic pollution, and other global marine threats. We join Governor Kotek in congratulating him on this important bill to further protect and manage our oceans.”
“These areas are the first long-term coastal marine conservation and monitoring programs implemented by the state of Oregon,” said Charlie Plybon, Oregon policy manager for the Surfrider Foundation and Oregon Marine Alliance leader on the bill. “These investments will help ensure these areas can adapt to changing ocean conditions and that the program clearly defines goals for tribes and coastal communities and provides meaningful science for future policy needs.”
“This bill strengthens Oregon’s Marine Protected Areas program, allowing us to better understand how people use and benefit from these underwater places, partner with local communities, and develop science-based goals specific to each marine protected area,” said Joe Liebezeit, deputy director of statewide conservation for the Oregon Bird Alliance.
“With the passage of HB 4132, Oregon lawmakers responded to a wave of support for Oregon’s most successful marine conservation program, the Marine Protected Areas program. Now, a stronger program will soon be on the way that will benefit the whales, seals and seabirds that call our waters home,” said Ian Giancarlo, Oregon Environmental Ocean Advocate.
“Our marine sanctuaries and protected areas are coastal treasures,” said Annie Merrill of the Oregon Coast Conservation Coalition. “These special places combine underwater state parks, wildlife refuges and living laboratories. This bill continues Oregon’s tradition of marine conservation, and its passage is a strong statement that the state is willing to invest in understanding and protecting our coastal resources and communities.”
House Bill 4132 increased funding for marine protected area programs to develop adaptive management plans focused on ecological and socio-economic studies and expand engagement with local tribes and coastal communities. The bill passed the Oregon Senate on March 6 by a vote of 26-3 and unanimously passed the Oregon House of Representatives by a vote of 55-0.
