Take Action! Winter 2006 You should get your Oregon river rights information from these sources.

But it's not there. Please send a note to Oregon to get the message out.  Virgil Moore - ODFW  Oregon State Marine Board

Other states are educating their citizens.   They've got clear statements for people to follow. Idaho has a detailed guide to river rights in their official Rules and Regulation booklet.

Full PDF version

As does Alaska

Full version Don't you think that Oregon should do the same?

 

Spring 2006 Northeast Oregon

NE Oregon has some of the states most spectacular rivers. These rivers get heavy river use by local residents, as well as tourists from across Oregon and around the world. Unfortunately, on some rivers lawful river users have been wrongly cited for trespass when they were obeying the law, and clearly below the ordinary high water mark.

We need your help. Please write a letters to the following folks.

Ask them to "Enforce the laws that protect public river rights. Enforce the State Attorney General Opinion #8281." You can download a sample letter here. SampleLetter.doc (MSWord Document)

Daniel Ousley
Wallowa County DA's Office
101 S River St Rm 201
Enterprise OR  97828
dousley@co.wallowa.or.us
danousley@hotmail.com

Fred Steen, Wallowa County Sheriff
101 S River St Rm 101
Enterprise, Oregon 97828
Steen@oregonsheriffs.org

Sergeant Randy Palmer, Oregon State Police,
Enterprise Office
randy.palmer@state.or.us

March 2006

Common Waters presentation, Bend

Tuesday March 28th
7 pm - 8:30 pm
Central Oregon Environmental Center
16 NW Kansas

November 2005

Why don't the ODFW regulations and the Oregon Marine Board mention your river rights?

We need to make sure the state is publishing the Attorney Generals Opinion on your river rights in all the relevant literature they put out. If the state truly wants to manage conflict, then they need to inform people of their rights and responsibilities on the rivers. Several state agencies need make sure the public can easily find information on river rights. The Oregon Marine Board, ODFW, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and LCDC (Land Conservation and District Commission) all generate large amounts of public outreach materials each year. They also have websites that citizens search looking for answers.   Lets get them involved in the education that is needed. Please write letters to the agencies and request that they issue information on river rights.

We've made this easy with sample letters (in Microsoft Word Format) and all the e-mail addresses for you. 

• Sample letter to Oregon Marine Board.
  Send it to
  Marine.Board@state.or.us and Jyll.Smith@state.or.us
• Sample letter to ODFW.
  Send it to
  odfw.info@state.or.us
• Sample letter to LCDC.
  Send it to
  lane.shetterly@state.or.us
  sarah.watson@state.or.us
  dderby@aol.com
  tjosi@co.tillamook.or.us
  johnvl@lclac.org mailto:Kelly.Burgess@state.or.us

All these agencies will be having board meetings in December. Please get your letter written and then if possible try to attend the board meetings. 

Dec 2nd, 8am, Salem. ODFW Commission Meeting. More Information.

Dec 13th, 10am, Salem. State Land Board Meeting.  More Information.

Dec 14th, Salam. Oregon Marine Board Meeting. More Information .

Upcoming Oregon Marine Board Educational meetings around the state

• Monday, Nov. 14  9:30 am - 12:30 pm Port of Newport,
  600 SE Bay Blvd., Newport         
  Invasive species   Status of salmon populations
• Wednesday, Nov. 16   9:30 am - 12:30 pm Port of Coos Bay 
  125 Central Ave., Ste 300 , Coos Bay 
  Environmental marina practices  Status of salmon populations
• Monday, Nov. 28   9:30 am - 12:30 pm     Port of St. Helens 
  100 E Street, Columbia City   
  Invasive species  Gas and oil at marinas
• Wednesday, Nov. 30  9:30 am - 12:30 pm Portland Yacht Club 
  1241 NE Marine Dr. , Portland         
  Response to spills  Invasive species
• Friday, Dec. 2   9:30 am - 12:30 pm        
  Port of Astoria  One Portway St. , Astoria Gas and oil at marinas 
  Environmental marina practices

OCTOBER 2005

State Land Board is meeting October 12, 2005 at 10 am. They need to hear from citizens about moving forward on the navigation studies that have been requested. They are dramatically behind schedule for conducting these studies. And, there is a risk that they might not proceed because of lack of public interest. They need to know that citizens are interested.

• Write the Land Board a Letter before October 12. The land board is composed of the governor, secretary of state, and the treasurer. Here's how you can reach them.

Ted, Kulongoski , Governor:
http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/contact_us.shtml
or message phone at 503.378.4582

Bill Bradbury, Secretary of State
Oregon.sos@state.or.us

Randall Edwards, Treasurer
Oregon.Treasury@state.or.us

• Write the Departement of State Lands staff a letter. Here's how you can reach them.

Ann Hanus, Director Department of State Lands
ann.hanus@dsl.state.or.us

Jeanette Holman, Assistant Director Navigability
jeannette.holman@dsl.state.or.us

Jeff Kroft, Senior Policy Analyst Navigability
jeff.kroft@dsl.state.or.us

Gail Lowry, Land Board Secretary,
gail.lowry@dsl.state.or.us

• Here's an sample letter you can use. Please make sure to fill in the salutation Dear {Governor Kulongoski or Land Board} as is appropriate for each letter you send. Or type your own personal letter about why public rivers or in particular these rivers are important to you.
• Please get as many folks as possible to send a letter on this important issue.

Now that the2005 legislature is closed, meet your senator and representative to make sure they know and understand our river rights. Print a copy of the AG's opinion (PDF) , and the summary document )PDF) to give to them. Make and appointment and talk with your legislator. Locate your legislators.

• Get on the mailing list for the next two navigability studies on the Trask or Rogue


• Join Common Waters of Oregon and help support the ongoing education efforts to protect river rights in Oregon. Membership Form (PDF) .


• Get involved with one of the Common Waters of Oregon Committees to help with Education, Stewardship, Strategic Affiliations, and Political Action. Contact Us and let us know your committee interest.


• Watch for river rights issues in your area and let us know what's happening Contact Us.

2005 Legislative Citizen Actions

more to come on this item