Summer is just around the corner and I wanted to give everyone a head's up for our summer testing dates and a call for volunteers. I'm putting together a call for volunteers to send out via press release towards the end of the month, but I wanted to go ahead and pass this information to our web viewers first. We'll be testing our usual spots (Hubbard Creek, Battle Rock, Port Dock, Garrison lake outfall (when water present) and some additional sites on Mill creek identified by volunteers with Garrison Lake Restoration Committee. By the mid June, we'll have a display and information at the POORT office. Volunteer packets, coolers, sampling containers, and instructions are now available for pick up at the POORT office. Feel free to email me (tarjar14@evergreen.edu) for more information or drop by the POORT Office. Testing dates are as follows: June 5, June 19, July 3, July10, July 17, July 24, July 31, August 7, August 14, and August 21. Samples are to be dropped off by 10:30 am in the cooler outside the POORT office.

Last year I had the good fortune to meet Statia Ryder, the South Coast and Lower Rogue Watersheds Education Coordinator. That's her in the picture with the kids, she is amazing! After hearing one of my presentations on the Port Orford Ocean Resource Team and how we wanted to bring together the land and sea with water quality issues, she said Let's Collaborate! We decided to bring the ocean into the watershed model to literally create the whole picture. After many months of brute strength, sheer determination, and some artistic flair, the stream trailer was ready to debut with it's new additions. For those of you who don't know, a stream trailer is a 3-dimensional model of a watershed. The major construction components are foam, grout, surgical tubing, water pump, and a trailer. Remember that saying- "a picture is worth a thousand words".....well, today at Bullards Beach State Park students from Myrtlecreek learned a lot of new words....maybe not a thousand words, but lots of important ones like; watershed, estuary, habitat, precipitation, evaporation, pollution, rocky intertidal, and you can guess the rest of them :)

Surfrider Foundation south coast activists and the Port Orford Ocean Resource Team joined forces this spring to host the first annual Port Orford Water Festival! The event, held March 7-8, was a huge success attracting hundreds of kids and their families from the area and was deemed by Port Orford City Council members as "the biggest and best family event ever held in Port Orford." The event's theme, "Connecting the Drops, Land to Sea Sustainability", highlighted the work of local groups from around the south coast. Fourteen different organizations leading sustainable efforts in land-sea connections and local stewardship were able to engage citizens in their work in a fun and lively atmosphere. The Festival kicked off with keynote speaker Dr. Jane Lubchenco, who presented on her recent paper, 'A New Ocean Ethic'. Great work by all activists from across the state that helped make this event happen. Major kudos and karma points for event organizer Suzanna Stoike for all her amazing work to make this concept a reality! And a big thanks to Jared Tarr, John Thompson and John Dingler for all their help!

Rallying around the 10th anniversary of the Oregon Chapters' of Surfrider Foundation victory to protect free and open access to the South Jetty, Florence area coastal activists have refocused their efforts on continuing threats to access of our coastal scenic vistas. Harbor Vista County Park, also known locally amongst regulars as "Chicken Point" was this past summer included as an area charging user fees of $3. For many, frequenting this unique viewpoint is how they start their day, decide which jetty to go surf, or if they want to burn the gas and risk their lives by crossing the notorious Siuslaw River Bar to chase fish. Area residents and Surfrider activists responded swiftly by gathering over 250 signatures on a petition to eliminate the fee, as well as providing crucial public testimony to the Lane County Board of Commissioners. West Lane Commissioner Bill Fleenor championed the cause and quickly instructed park staff to remove the user fee sign from the viewing area. Big Ups and Massive Respect to all those who signed the petition, and helped gather signatures. Many thanks to Mark, John, Scott, Seth and Charlie for giving public testimony to the board, and cheers to our friends at The Sportsman and Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition CoastWatch program for all their help in this campaign victory!

On November 28, 2007 at 9:00 am at the Lane County Commission meeting local Florence residents and users from all over are encouraged to come and give comments in support of this campaign to stop a newly implaced user fee at Harbor Vista. Harbor Vista, more commonly known by locals as Chicken Point, has a local cultural significance. Fisherman, surfers and other ocean users have used this lookout to check the bar and ocean conditions for years. They have also historically used this parking area free of charge. In the summer of 2007, Lane County Parks emplaced a fee with no general improvement or services for the parking area. The park is essentially taxing local residents with a fee that offers no services for those parking. Day-use fees set a dangerous precedent for public rights to free and open access to our beaches and coastline scenic views. Please show your support by helping give comments to the county commission at the meeting or just call them let them know your in objection to this fee! Comments can be made to the commission from both Eugene and Florence and for more details contact Gus Gates at ggates@surfrider.org