• Boaters Urged To Be Cautious During Holiday Celebrations
• Marine Board to Grant Facility Funds July 10

Boaters Urged To Be Cautious During Holiday Celebrations

Marine patrol officers are urging caution among boaters this Independence Day. Holiday celebrations result in high numbers of boating citations, collisions and other problems. Low water in the Willamette, Columbia and Rogue rivers, as well as certain reservoirs, will likely compound the problem as boaters head to the water to watch fireworks.

Though good, boatable water is available at natural lakes, most reservoirs and larger rivers, boaters need to use caution and be prepared. "The upper Willamette River and tributaries are unusually low now - they are more dangerous than usual because hazards are closer to the surface and available water is more focused into swift rapids," says Deputy Kurt Jahnke, of the Lane County Sheriffs Department.

Shore-side fireworks displays at popular water bodies across the state will bring boaters to the water at night, requiring navigation lights and extra caution. "Good weather has brought out recreational boaters in large numbers," says Multnomah County Marine Patrol Sergeant Ned Walls agrees. "Large numbers of boaters with less available water will require common sense while launching boats, while on the water and while trailering boats. Boaters need to be patient with fellow boaters."

If you plan to boat during the Independence Day holiday, follow these guidelines to avoid a citation or an accident.

• Be seen. If you’re out after sunset to watch fireworks or just to enjoy a nighttime cruise, make sure you have working navigation lights. Deputies will cite boat operators - a $175 fine - who are out after sunset without proper running lights.
• Boat Safe, Boat Sober. Officers will be watching for alcohol or drug impaired boaters. If arrested, a boat operator can face a $5000 fine, loss of boating privileges for three years and even jail time.
• Be safe with fire. Despite recent rains, shore-side vegetation is likely to be dry and flammable. Also, boats can be quite flammable and make unsafe platforms for discharging fireworks. Carry a fire extinguisher and avoid getting close to someone else’s fireworks display.
• Be patient. After the fireworks, avoid rushing back to load your boat. Tired boaters making a late-night land rush result in numerous collisions each year.
• Don’t get grounded, especially in this low water year. Obstacles are more difficult to recognize at night if you plan to watch fireworks from your boat. Carry a spotlight but don’t let it interfere with your navigation lights when underway.
• Don’t crowd. Many popular waterways will be crowded, especially the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers. The number of boating collisions increases in July because of crowding and watersport activities. Leave plenty of room between you and other boaters, slow down and be patient.
• Wear your life jacket. Five of this year’s six boating fatality victims were not wearing life jackets, a statistic that holds true year after year. Youths 12 and younger must wear a life jacket when in a boat. Even outside the boat, parents should have youths - especially toddlers - and non-swimmers wear life jackets when playing in or near the water and on docks.

Boaters can find updated boat ramp access information at the Marine Board web site at www.boatoregon.com.

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Marine Board to Grant Facility Funds July 10

The Oregon State Marine Board will meet in Newport July 10 to consider grant requests for nearly $1.74 million in boat ramps, docks, bathrooms, parking lots and improvements, fuel stations and sanitation facilities.

The meeting agenda follows:

• Election of Officers: Marine Board Chair Nancy J. Hungerford’s term has expired. A new chairperson will be elected. New Marine Board Member Bob Montgomery, of Cascade Locks, will join the board for his first meeting.
• Director’s Report - Includes legislative, financial and registration reports
• Clatskanie River rulemaking - Board will consider a proposal to adopt a boat speed limit on the portion of the Clatskanie River that runs through Clatskanie.
• Law Enforcement Report
• Facility Program Report
• Consideration of Facility Grant Requests

Facility grant requests fill the bulk of the agenda. A variety of applicants requested funding for 69 projects seeking over $8 million in Marine Board funds. Staff is recommending approval at this meeting of 28 requests totaling $1.74 million dollars. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has an additional $700,000 in federal Sport Fish Motorboat Access funds that will also be granted. Total value of the proposed projects, including matching funds, exceeds $3.95 million.

Staff has recommended that another 16 requests, totaling $2.88 million, be considered later in the biennium pending availability of grant funds. The Marine Board provides matching grants, requiring the applicant to provide cash and in-kind work such as construction equipment and labor.

Projects recommended by staff for approval include new ramps and floats, sanitary facilities, fuel stations and other items. Funding sources include boat registration and titling fees, fuel taxes, federal Clean Vessel Act and Boating Infrastructure Grant funds. The Board will hear additional grant requests throughout the 2001-2003 biennium.

The meeting will be held at the Best Western Agate Beach Inn, 3019 N. Coast Hwy. It will begin at 8:30 a.m. The meeting facility is accessible for persons with disabilities. Persons needing some form of assistance to participate in this meeting due to a disability should contact Jill Andrick at (503) 373-1405, ext. 243, by Friday, July 6. Persons wishing to address the board on non-agenda items may do so during a designated period at the start of the meeting.