The Oregon State Marine Board has voted to implement a temporary rule that limits the use of motorized boats on the upper Siletz River.
A year ago, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians petitioned the marine board to prohibit motorized boats upstream from Jack Morgan park. The tribe contends the move would protect salmonid and lamprey spawning areas and prevent user conflicts.
The process has been painstaking. Since the tribe submitted the petition, there have been 5 meetings of a rules advisory committee.
During the board’s January meeting, board members asked staff to develop a “hybrid” alternative to the tribe’s request.
Marine board staff recommended the board adopt the tribe’s request as written, but on Thursday April 23, the board voted unanimously to temporarily implement the hybrid alternative.
The temporary rule continues to allow the use of motorized boats upstream from Jack Morgan park but limits motor size to 10 horsepower.
Further, the temporary rule prohibits motorized boating upriver from Old Mill park, 9 miles upstream from Jack Morgan. Angela Sondenaa is the tribe’s natural resources director.
“The good news is that the rulemaking process is ongoing, and that is a positive outcome, because the board obviously could have chosen to end rulemaking. They did not,” Sondenaa said by phone following the board’s vote. “However, we are disappointed that they did not select the alternative that was most protective of the river, but we will continue to engage in the process.”
The Siletz is known as a premiere salmon and steelhead fishing destination, and public comment and social media dialogue have been passionate.
After approving the temporary rule Thursday, the board directed staff to organize public meetings (two are expected) and a board work session in Newport to more fully consider public comment ahead of the board’s July meeting.
In July, the board could take one of many possible courses of action. They could make the temporary rule permanent or modify it and continue fact finding, or scrap the rulemaking process altogether.
