Oregon Special Places Campaign

Goal:

To protect marine habitats, biodiversity, and special places along Oregon's coast through establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine reserves.

Objectives:

• Influence and support the Ocean Policy Advisory Council's (OPAC) efforts to establish MPAs and Marine Reserves
• Participate and support community-based processes that focus on planning for MPAs and Marine Reserves
• Participate and support planning for an OR National Marine Sanctuary
• Work with Oregon's State Parks to advocate establishment of marine parks as extensions of coastal state parks
• Implement successful pilots: Nearshore and Recreational MPAs

Tactics:

• Ocean Policy Advisory Council
  1. Attend OPAC meeting and provide public comment
  2. Provide support to OPAC representatives who are allies
  3. Participate and support planning for a National Marine Sanctuary

   

• Community-Based Involvement
  1. Provide policy and communications support to communities participating in bottom-up MPA Planning
  2. Promote broad stakeholder participation in community-based processes

   

• Grassroots Advocacy
  1. Mobilize participation in public meeting process: National Marine Sanctuary
  2. Petition drives, Op-Eds, Letters to Editor

   

• Outreach, and Media
  1. Surfrider events: info on Sanctuary planning and MPAs as policy tool
  2. Common Ground screenings: promote and participate
  3. Coastal forums on MPAs: organize several in 2006

   

• State Government
  1. Communications with Governor's Office, State Agencies, and State Representatives
  2. Support Oregon Ocean efforts to introduce and campaign for MPA legislation