Cool volunteer moment of the month from Portland volunteer Chanel Hason while on a photographic flight mission for a Surfrider campaign - more below. Photo, Hason, Aerial support pilot Lane Gromley.
Summer is near and it seems we may be drying out a little on the Oregon coast! Following a busy Earth month the summer brings upon our network some great events and volunteer activities to get involved at the beach! From tar balled beaches to multiple offshore wind review deadlines and a spectacular showing of the northern lights, the spring has provided far more than normal for the Oregon coast. Top picks for volunteers this month - Newport Pride or Cannon Beach Public Coast Brewing Cleanup, Offshore wind public comment, Otter Rock n Roll surf event, World Ocean day of action!
-Charlie Plybon, Oregon Senior Policy Manager
North Lights, South Beach. A hazy moon rises amidst the northern light's rare appearance, a treat earlier this month, South Beach - Photo: Charlie Plybon.
A stark reminder this holiday weekend that offshore oil and gas drilling can impact Oregon beaches - we are all of one ocean. A unified response of federal, state and local agencies are working to track and cleanup a tar-like substance impacting shorelines and wildlife from Long Beach, Waldport, OR. The source is not yet known. Please do not attempt to clean up yourself and if you see oiled wildlife, call (1-800-222-4737).
Offshore wind process ushers public engagement on ocean leases
In a rather perfect storm of bureaucracy and public process, the prospect of developing offshore wind in Oregon has blown ashore a gale force of public meetings and comment periods this summer. Both federal and state processes for the final leasing process are under multiple public review deadlines. Never fear, we've got you covered with an overview and resources to help you engage in the coming process.
PacWave's southern wave energy test site has added two new wave measurement buoys that may help improve your next surf forecast around Newport. The buoys, just 7 miles southwest of Newport, measure many aspects of wave, wind and sea surface conditions providing researchers and wave energy developers data on wave characterization at the energy converter test site. Data and resources like this can also be a real game changer for those ocean users like surfers, nearshore fishermen and sailors in forecasting conditions, check out the new stations!
This month Surfrider Foundation and Oregon Shores volunteers teamed up and took flight along the Oregon coast to document climate impacts to Oregon’s beaches. Portland Chapter's Chanel Hason, above photo, took flight with pilot Lane Gromley of LightHawk to garner aerial photographs for our coming statewide beaches campaign. LightHawk is a nonprofit that accelerates conservation success through the powerful perspective of flight.
The Newport Chapter’s beloved annual youth surf and stewardship competition, Otter Rock n Roll, returns for its 14th summer! This year’s competition will take place on International Surfing Day- Saturday, June 15th at Otter Rock/Devil’s Punchbowl State Park. Surfer registration is filling up fast, so get your kiddo registered today! This event is made possible by volunteers just like you - Register to volunteer here, and enjoy breakfast and lunch on us, plus a fun day at the beach, and all the warm fuzzies!
Oregon Takes Regulatory Approach to Ocean Acidification
Oregon may become first in the nation to list our ocean waters as impaired for ocean acidification under the national Clean Water Act. The state's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released it's Draft 2024 Integrated Report for public comment which included a portion of Oregon's ocean listed for ocean acidifcation and hypoxia as well as new additions for trash on the Willamette and PFAS in inland water bodies. The regulatory approach to ocean acidification and hypoxia may make Oregon one of the first in the nation to require solutions for a changing ocean chemistry spurred by climate change.
Cleanups abound this past month with events stretching from Port Orford all the way up to Seaside, our volunteers were busy last month keeping our beaches clean!
