Looking north toward the newly protected rocky habitat at Chapman Point Marine Conservation Area. Photo by Mylasia Miklas.
While Surfrider activists across our network continue to weather personal and political storms, we've also been able to find and create moments of joy to keep us going. This is evident in the dozen cleanups organized since the last time we wrote to you, and the thousands of pounds of trash cleared from our waterways by the inspiring crew of volunteers we have here in Oregon. When things are bad, Surfrider seems to grow stronger, and that's due to the incredible grassroots strength that comes from all of you. Read on for some major victories coming out of Salem, recaps on the gatherings that keep the stoke high, and see what events we have coming up this summer (hint: we're getting in the water!).
- Kaia Hazard, Oregon Regional Manager
Oregon Beaches Forever:
Upcoming Events
Tonight!
Join us for pints and public beaches tonight at Fort George Brewery, to learn more about our Oregon Beaches Forever campaign, recent wins, and how you can protect the beaches we all love.
How can we use nature to combat erosion? Join us next week to learn more about our collaborative project to address the eroding north bank of Ecola Creek in Cannon Beach. Dinner provided!
We have a win coming out of the Oregon State Legislature this week, with the passage of Senate Bill 551, which eliminates all plastic film bags at checkout in restaurants, grocery stores and other retail establishments in Oregon, with a final concurrence vote of 22-8. SB 551 effectively closes the plastic checkout bag loophole from the 2019 ban, which had allowed the thicker "reusable" plastic bags. This is a true step forward in the fight against single-use plastic pollution in Oregon!
This month, Surfrider Policy Fellow, Dr Sarah Wolf, organized two cleanups in Yaquina Bay, focusing on removal of aquaculture debris in Poole Slough and Half Way Park. These cleanups were a huge success, removing 18,453 lbs of debris from the estuary! Much of the debris was foam from deteriorating polystyrene docks used in oyster farming. To combat this, Oregon Oyster Farm is committing to phase out polystyrene in favor of more durable alternatives that won’t leach microplastics into the bay. Community cleanups working hand in hand with industry improvements are leading to a cleaner bay in Newport! Read on for recaps of these two incredible cleanups.
The 15th Annual Otter Rock n Roll is just weeks away on Saturday, June 21st! Surfer registration and volunteer needs are now live at newport.surfrider.org. This annual youth surf and stewardship event cannot happen without a powerful group of volunteers and local sponsors and your help is needed for this year's event! We are especially looking for volunteer surf instructors for our best beginner division!
Earth Month Recap!
We had a blast celebrating Earth Month with you! The Coos Bay, Newport, North Coast, and Portland Surfrider Chapters hosted a combined total of 8 cleanups during the month of April. Thank you to the 254 amazing volunteers who joined us to collect 966 lbs of trash from our beaches! Every bit makes a difference!
Don't want to wait for Earth Day to practice stewardship? We host cleanups year round! Check out the chapter page to find a Surfrider chapter near you and stay up to date with events and more.
Envisioning Coos Bay
We loved getting together with our friends at Rogue Climate, Oregon Shores, and the nearly 50 of you who joined us at our Envisioning Coos Bay event on May 18! This event provided the space for folks to share their social and environmental values, their personal connections to the Coos Bay estuary and the nearshore ocean environment, and served as a space for open dialogue and collective reflection on what makes this coastal region special—and what the community hopes to see in its future. As Coos Bay continues to confront large-scale proposals—such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure or estuary modifications—the importance of proactive, values-driven community engagement becomes increasingly clear.
This year's report features a case study from our lab in Newport!
The reach of the Blue Water Task Force keeps growing with 60+ labs processing over 10,000 water samples collected from over 600 beaches in 2024. Read the Surfrider Foundation’s 2024 Clean Water Report to see how Surfrider Chapters across the country are applying their Blue Water Task Force and Ocean Friendly Gardens programs to protect clean water, safe recreation and resilient communities.
Policy and Field in Action!
Follow us on Instagram @SurfriderOregon
to stay up to date!
Inside the Capitol
How do we educate legislators? It's not all constituent meetings at the Capitol, take a behind the scenes look at our Lunch & Learn event where we educated Oregon legislators and staff on our ocean protection issues.
Ocean lovers across Oregon are speaking up! Our network has been rallying for two vital ocean protection bills — Rocky Habitat and Eelgrass — now awaiting funding in Ways & Means. The movement is growing stronger and louder. Let’s keep the pressure on!
May 29, 6pm – Astoria Oregon Beaches Forever Campaign Update - More Info
June 4, 6pm – Ecola Creek NBS Project Update - More info
June 8, 10am – Newport World Ocean Day Hwy 101 Cleanup - More info
June 17, 6pm – Portland Surf Forecasts & NOAA impacts - More info
June 17, 6pm – Portland OFR Committee meeting - More info
June 21 – Newport Otter Rock and Roll - More info
July 5 - (various locations) July 5th Cleanups - Save the date!
July 12, 11am - Portland Tides & Vibes: SUP Saturday - More info
Coos Bay Youth Surf Camps
July 27th - volunteer or sign up
August 24th - volunteer or sign up
Scenes from the Oregon field!
The Surfrider Portland chapter hosted a Green Streets Cleanup, where 25 volunteers stewarded bioswales in the Multnomah Village neighborhood, cleaning up 75 lbs of trash and clearing out weeds from these stormwater filtration workhorses!
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