Port Orford, Oregon: Stewardship Area Planning

WHERE: Port Orford, South Oregon Coast

WHAT: “Community Stewardship Area” planning through a bottom-up process facilitated by the Port Orford Ocean Resource Team (POORT) the Surfrider Foundation, and other partners.

STATE: The process of establishing a Stewardship Area began through a series of public meetings with fishermen, community leaders, and other stakeholders. Participants recognized that existing state and federal management could be greatly enhanced through a bottom-up approach to science and stewardship, including the development of local management proposals. An inclusive and transparent planning process was soon initiated involving fishermen and other interested members of the community. Thirty-four local fishermen signed their support for the concept, goals, and principles of a stewardship area that encompasses local fishing grounds and adjacent watersheds.

STRATEGY: to protect and restore the ecological integrity of local marine resources and watersheds, while supporting and promoting sustainable fisheries.

GOALS: an ecosystem-based approach that prioritizes the sustainability of the entire nearshore system, including the resource users that are dependent upon it.

TACTICS:

• Integrate local knowledge & science to manage the marine environment at a finer scale that maximizes both ecological and socioeconomic benefits.
• Secure designation of the locally proposed Red Fish Rocks Research Reserve as part of Oregon’s statewide marine reserve planning process.
• Promote watershed stewardship through partnership building with state & federal agencies, watershed councils, land trusts, and other relevant groups
• Collaborate with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) on nearshore science, management, and community outreach efforts through a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
• Support bottom-up stewardship through education & outreach, volunteer programs, and community projects.
• Collaborate with the City of Port Orford to research and implement ‘best management practices’ for stormwater