Newport Surfrider volunteers Mike Harrington and Katy Bear Nalven join Surfrider staffer Charlie Plybon at the March for Science event in Newport.
Amidst a turbulent political start to 2025, Oregon Surfrider volunteers have united powerfully across our network - rallying our collective capacity to weather the first quarter storm we're facing federally. From lifting our grassroots voices with local organizing to advancing campaigns to protect our coast at both the local and state legislative level, we continue to find joy and light in protecting what we love here in Oregon. This month we celebrate two major beach protection victories and the advancing of two key ocean habitat protection bills that made it through the first legislative deadline. We're also hosting lots of exciting Earth Month events, join us and learn more below.
- Charlie Plybon, Oregon Sr. Policy Manager
Oregon Capitol Currents:
Coastal Bills that Made the Cut
Photo: The carpet in the Capitol building in Salem is as distinctive and popular as that of the PDX airport...and Charlie's shoelaces.
Of the over 3,500 bills submitted this Oregon legislative session, less than half now remain following the end of March legislative deadlines. This first deadline cuts the number of bills by over half and bills that don't advance are often referred to as "dead". On the still "alive" side, most Surfrider Oregon priority bills for Beyond the Bag Ban (SB 551), Eelgrass Action Now (HB 3580) and Rocky Habitat Stewardship (HB 3587) campaigns are all advancing - some needed good news at the state level as federal threats continue. Track full actions and legislative opportunities on the Surfrider Oregon Legislative Webpage or follow the link below for the first quarter update.
Surfrider’s North Coast and Newport Chapters are celebrating two recent wins for Oregon’s public beaches, with decisions to deny riprap applications in both Tillicum Beach and Cannon Beach. Surfrider, along with other community groups and local beach lovers, advocate against shoreline armoring regularly, highlighting the destructive impact they have on our beaches and pushing for beach-friendly alternatives like nature-based solutions. Both campaigns are a result of our broader Oregon Beaches Forever strategy to more comprehensively protect our public shoreline.
Surfrider does cleanups year round, nearly every month of the year our volunteers are at it conducting up to 80 cleanups each year. But one of our favorite times of year and partnered cleanups is always the annual SOLVE Statewide Spring Beach Cleanup event, coming April 19th 10-noon. Surfrider Chapters from Coos Bay to Newport to North Coast are captaining 6 different sites this year for the event, and we're kicking off with a North Coast cleanup in Seaside this weeekend. Can't make this event, don't worry, Surfrider has about 7 more cleanup events coming this month and next, check them out below in our events.
Surfrider Policy Fellow Dr. Sarah Wolf's Aquaculture Marine Debris Project in Yaquina Bay is making exciting progress! Our Newport Chapter has recently partnered with Oregon Oyster Farms, Lincoln County, and MidCoast Watersheds Council to address debris from oyster farm operations in Yaquina Bay.
Save the dates for two upcoming cleanups-- details and link to RSVP coming soon! Stay tuned on our project site to learn more!
Mark your calendars, the 15th Annual Otter Rock n Roll is set for June 21st! Surfer registration and volunteer needs go live on May 1 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!
Fed Layoffs Impact Oregon Coast Spring Breakers
Photo: Cape Perpetua's vast shoreline, tidepools, pocket beaches and forested trails are largely managed by the US Forest Service. Campgrounds, interpretive center and guided experiences have all been impacted by federal cuts.
The Oregon Coast and Coast Range are home to numerous federally managed recreation and scenic areas, offering a variety of natural landscapes and cultural sites that beckon visitors and outdoor enthusiasts. And while many enjoy these special places, not everyone understands the role of federal agencies in making access and recreation possible here in the first place. Following the wrecking ball of mass firings from DOGE, spring breakers on the Oregon coast found limited hours, reduced services and in some cases locked gates - learn where federal management matters for recreation on the Oregon coast.
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.
Lifting up our voices across Oregon, the past few weeks have been incredibly inspiring as our network has joined communities all over the state in peaceful demonstrations. From March for Science to Hands Off efforts, the movement grows stronger and louder.
Apr 22, 6pm – PDX Earth Day Drag Bingo - More info
Apr 27, 7pm – Coos Bay April Social: Movie Night - More info
May 3, 10:30am – PDX Cleanup: Multnomah Village - More info
May 13, 6pm – North Coast Volunteer Recruitment Party - More info
May 17 – Newport Foam Fighters Cleanup - Save the Date!
May 18, 5pm – Coos Bay May Social: Port Development & Recreational Impacts - More Info
May 29, 6pm – Astoria Oregon Beaches Forever Campaign Update - More Info
June 12 – PDX Cleanup: Division St - Save the Date!
June 21 – Newport Otter Rock and Roll - Save the Date!
Scenes from the Oregon field!
The Surfrider Portland chapter had a ball at their Spring Oswald West Action Day, collecting over 100 lbs of trash from Short Sands Beach. Thanks to all who came out to show some love to this coastal gem! Below: Shout out to PDX Chapter leaders Amanda Beaver and Lacey Buck!
View of the recent Newport Chapter Moolack Highway 101 Cleanup in honor of volunteer Betsy Bredau. We had our biggest turn out in years with 23 people, and collected 45 bags of trash -- our most in recent memory! Thank you to all the volunteers that came out to honor Betsy and help keep the trash from going to our beaches and oceans.
12 Americorps Volunteers, 12 buckets fulls of plastic at South Beach with Newport Surfrider. This group was especially rewarding, all individuals are serving in public health roles with state agencies
Scenes from demonstrations around the state. Newport has been especially hit hard by the DOGE cuts with all of the federal natural resource agencies like NOAA, USFWS, and many others with science and field offices in the community.
Group shot from last month's Surfrider All Staff Meeting at our headquarters in San Clemente, CA. Grateful to be able to come together with this team from across the US!
Surfrider Field Manager Kaia chatted Oregon Beaches Forever, coastal hazards and resiliency, and community organizing on a panel at the University of Oregon's Public Interest Environmental Law Conference along with Elise Newman of Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition and Valerie Berseth of Oregon Sea Grant.
April would not be complete without the fresh smell of the annual mass stranding of Velella velella, also known as the By-the-Wind Sailors, on our Oregon beaches. These hydrozoans are not true jellies but rather each individual is a colony of different, but related, animals working together as a unit. The westerly winds of the spring bring these critters in by the masses.
