Oregon leads the way on ocean planning

[depakid]

Oregon is gaining a well-deserved reputation as one of three coastal states that have seized the lead in a process called marine spatial planning.

That's a fancy term for something closely akin to zoning of near-shore coastal waters. Think of it as an extension of Oregon's storied land-use planning: a new frontier that might be called "ocean-use planning."

The White House considers it a priority. Early in his administration, President Barack Obama created an interagency task force to recommend a national policy for the stewardship of America's oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. In its interim report in September, the panel singled out Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Oregon for being on the cutting edge of such planning.

The two New England states were compelled to get moving by massive offshore wind-energy projects, including Cape Wind, the controversial wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound off Cape Cod. In Oregon, the impetus came from applications for wave-energy leases off the state's central coast.

Two years ago, Oregon appeared to be the least likely coastal state to get out ahead of the pack on ocean planning. Gov. Ted Kulongoski and his staff found themselves in a storm of coastal controversy over his desire to create a string of marine reserves, off limits to fishing and other commercial and recreational pursuits.

Out of that uproar, however, came much improved communication between Salem and coastal leaders. Some of the credit goes to the governor, who went to the coast and helped defuse the furor, and much goes to the Legislature's coastal caucus. The nine-member bipartisan group joined with coastal leaders to seize the initiative not just on marine reserves but on the much larger issue of planning for Oregon's territorial sea.

This vast 1,250-square-mile area, bigger than Multnomah and Washington counties combined, could be viewed as the state's 37th county. Oregon, like nearly every other coastal state, has jurisdiction over the seabed and its resources out to three miles.

It was already getting crowded out there even before renewable energy projects became a huge national priority. In this year's Legislature, coastal legislators jump-started the ocean planning process by securing $1.2 million to begin bathymetric mapping of Oregon's territorial sea -- a move that spurred the Obama administration to chip in another $4 million that will lead to 50 percent of the state's seabed being mapped by 2011.

Companion projects will produce overlay maps of fishing grounds, shipping lanes, whale migration routes, sensitive marine areas, dredge spoils sites, municipal wastewater out-falls and a host of other uses of the territorial sea.

This is planning, Oregon-style, and it's opening eyes around the country. But what's even more impressive is that it is happening as a result of a refreshing state and local partnership that was built from the ashes of the 2007 rancor over establishing marine reserves.

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/11/oregon_leads_the_way_on_ocean.html

[tabatha]

1. I hope they can get a handle on the dead zones

off the Oregon coast.