U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and members of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives toured the U.S. Coast Guard's rescue helicopter hanger in Newport Thursday and afterward spoke with reporters at Newport City Hall about the ongoing efforts to keep the helicopter there.
Last November, the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, along with Lincoln County and the State of Oregon, sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after the agency moved the helicopter to North Bend amid rumors that DHS was going to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Newport.
In late December, Federal Judge Ann L. Aiken granted a Newport Fishermen’s Wives’s motion to bring the helicopter back to Newport for the duration of the trial.
Speaking in Newport, Wyden thanked central coast residents for their passion during a townhall meeting in November that, Wyden said, helped prompt the return of the helicopter to Newport during the hazardous Dungeness crabbing season.
“Five hundred people showing up during the holidays sends a pretty big message, and so we really want to thank the whole community for mobilizing so quickly,” Wyden said.
Taunette Dixon is a spokesperson for the Newport Fishermen’s Wives and acknowledged the importance of community support at Thursday’s press conference.
“We have done this for our mariners, but we've also done it for the community. It's really important to note that the community has also stood behind us through this,” Dixon said.
Lincoln County is also a plaintiff in the case. Walter Chuck is a Lincoln County commissioner and said the helicopter was a vital community asset.
“It is a benefit to the community to have it [the helicopter] here. It's a safety factor. It is also a confidence factor. So when people come to the coast to visit, when our fishermen go out there, they know that there's an extra layer of safety. It is not the only layer out there. It is just another asset. That asset is also vital to our forest workers. It’s vital to our first responders, our beach rescue teams and our local sheriff search and rescue and also our local police,” Chuck said.
The City of Newport also supports the lawsuit. Mayor Jan Kaplan spoke at Thursday’s press conference and pointed out that the helicopter’s utility extends well beyond Newport.
“The Coast Guard is critical to the whole central coast, and I've spoken with mayors along the coast, and we have support from all along the coast, and that's important to remember, because there's no boundaries, no county lines out in the ocean,” Kaplan said.
According to the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, the Coast Guard has conducted a couple rescue operations this winter, a testament to the need to keep the helicopter in Newport, said Dixon.
“We are a cold water fleet,” she said. “Minutes matter when there's an accident, when there is an issue out at sea.”
The court case is ongoing, and a Status Conference is set for Jan. 28 in Eugene.
