Scruffy Bearded Varmint
10-07-2003, 04:34 PM
Last legislation we dodged a bullet meant to kill our right to continue floating and fishing along the John Day River. You may recall the fight we had over SB 293 and SB 928. Well the fight ain't over yet folks... not by a long shot. We are not out of the woods yet!
Contact the State Land Board Now.
From the minutes of the June 10, 2003 Oregon State Land Board Meeting:
GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI: Any motion?
SECRETARY BRADBURY: Mr. Chair, I would move that the — this Board direct the Division of State Lands to postpone commencement of the John Day River navigability study until either the Governor signs legislation passed by the 2003 regular session of the legislature to address the public’s right to use waters of the state, not declared navigable or the close of the regular 2003 session of the legislature.
TREASURER EDWARDS: Second it.
GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI: Any further discussion? Any objections to the motion? Hearing none. Thank you.
With the above action, the State Land Board ordered the Division of State Lands to begin a navigability study of the John Day River. With the death of 928 at Sine Die, they did. That does not mean they will allow the Division of State Lands to finish it.
A source in the Division of State Lands told me they expect to complete the study within a year… that is unless they are once again, told to stop it. And we have no guarantee that won’t happen.
On October 21, 2003, the Oregon State Land Board meets again. I was told that the first item on the agenda is an update regarding navigability and in particular, navigability on the John Day River. Once again, we the people of Oregon become subject to the vagaries, whims, and behind the scene deal making, I have learned to expect from our elected officials.
According to a source in the Division of State Lands, it is possible for the State Land Board to halt the study once again. I suspect the Senator Ferrioli and the three powerful land lobbyist groups that support him have been trying to engineer just such an action. I have no proof, just full knowledge of the kind of shenanigans they have pulled in the past.
For those of you new to the board, this same group of people have on several occasions, introduced legislation that would have given local landowners complete control over just who could and could not use the John Day River for recreational purposes. One bill would have given over ownership to upland property owners without compensating the public… and remember, the public does own the John Day River. Another would have made it a felony to anchor a boat or wade in the river. And this year’s version would have created a complicated and complex system of local management plans —— plans so complicated that no one could keep track of what would be legal where —— plans that even had the potential to close off the river to all except those willing to pay private fishing club owners for the privilege of fishing there.
I believe it is time for Oregonians to remind the Land Board that they have an obligation to all Oregonians, not just a handful of elite land owners along the John Day River. I believe that if enough Oregonians take the time to write, call, email, and fax the members of the State Land Board before they meet on the twenty-first, the Board will not change course and the study will move forward.
So please, I am asking you all to contact the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the State Treasurer and remind them of their promise to follow through on the request for the John Day River Navigability Study — a study that has languished in the system since 1997; a study that will clearly establish our right are to use the bed and banks of the John Day River up to the line of ordinary high water.
I included the contact information for the members of the State Land Board at the end of this post.
You can monitor the Oregon State Land Board October Meeting Agenda at the following site. As of today, the agenda had not been posted, however, I was told by a source in Division of State Lands that navigability was indeed the first item on the agenda. They should have the agenda posted soon. Monitor it to confirm the Navigability issue. You can also call the Division of State Lands and ask about the agenda: (503) 378-3805.
www.oregonstatelands.us (http://www.oregonstatelands.us)
If you can possibly make it to the meeting, please do. Come prepared to testify! I suspect there will be more than one or two people there that came to ask them to halt the study. This is speculation on my part; however, I do not think we can gamble that they won’t try to stop it.
The Oregon State Land Board will meet at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 at the following location:
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
PO Box 5417 (mailing)
Interpretive Center - 61907 Seven Devils Rd. (street)
Charleston, Oregon 97420
Phone: (541) 888-5558 FAX: (541) 888-5559
The contact information for the State Land Board follows. Please call, write, email, and fax each one and let them know it is time to stay the course and let the Division of State Lands complete the John Day River Navigability Study, on behalf of all Oregonians. Thank them for their courage in ordering the start of the study and thank them for having the courage to finish it. Remind them it’s the right thing to do.
Scruffy
P.S. Please post a note saying you made the contact. That will bump this post to the top and help us keep the pressure on the Land Board. The more they hear from us, the more likely they will do the right thing for all Oregoninians. Thanks. SBV
RANDALL T. EDWARDS
State Treasurer of Oregon
Phone: (503) 378-4329
Fax: (503) 373-7051
Email: randall.edwards@state.or.us
350 Winter Street NE Suite 100
Salem OR 97301-3896
Bill Bradbury
Oregon Secretary of State
Phone: (503) 986-1523
Fax: (503) 986-1616
Email: oregon.sos@state.or.us
136 State Capitol
Salem OR 97310-0722
TED KULONGOSKI
Governor of Oregon
Phone: (503) 378-4582
Fax: (503) 378-6827
Email: http://governor.oregon.gov/contact.htm
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
[ 10-07-2003, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Scruffy Bearded Varmint ]
Contact the State Land Board Now.
From the minutes of the June 10, 2003 Oregon State Land Board Meeting:
GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI: Any motion?
SECRETARY BRADBURY: Mr. Chair, I would move that the — this Board direct the Division of State Lands to postpone commencement of the John Day River navigability study until either the Governor signs legislation passed by the 2003 regular session of the legislature to address the public’s right to use waters of the state, not declared navigable or the close of the regular 2003 session of the legislature.
TREASURER EDWARDS: Second it.
GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI: Any further discussion? Any objections to the motion? Hearing none. Thank you.
With the above action, the State Land Board ordered the Division of State Lands to begin a navigability study of the John Day River. With the death of 928 at Sine Die, they did. That does not mean they will allow the Division of State Lands to finish it.
A source in the Division of State Lands told me they expect to complete the study within a year… that is unless they are once again, told to stop it. And we have no guarantee that won’t happen.
On October 21, 2003, the Oregon State Land Board meets again. I was told that the first item on the agenda is an update regarding navigability and in particular, navigability on the John Day River. Once again, we the people of Oregon become subject to the vagaries, whims, and behind the scene deal making, I have learned to expect from our elected officials.
According to a source in the Division of State Lands, it is possible for the State Land Board to halt the study once again. I suspect the Senator Ferrioli and the three powerful land lobbyist groups that support him have been trying to engineer just such an action. I have no proof, just full knowledge of the kind of shenanigans they have pulled in the past.
For those of you new to the board, this same group of people have on several occasions, introduced legislation that would have given local landowners complete control over just who could and could not use the John Day River for recreational purposes. One bill would have given over ownership to upland property owners without compensating the public… and remember, the public does own the John Day River. Another would have made it a felony to anchor a boat or wade in the river. And this year’s version would have created a complicated and complex system of local management plans —— plans so complicated that no one could keep track of what would be legal where —— plans that even had the potential to close off the river to all except those willing to pay private fishing club owners for the privilege of fishing there.
I believe it is time for Oregonians to remind the Land Board that they have an obligation to all Oregonians, not just a handful of elite land owners along the John Day River. I believe that if enough Oregonians take the time to write, call, email, and fax the members of the State Land Board before they meet on the twenty-first, the Board will not change course and the study will move forward.
So please, I am asking you all to contact the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the State Treasurer and remind them of their promise to follow through on the request for the John Day River Navigability Study — a study that has languished in the system since 1997; a study that will clearly establish our right are to use the bed and banks of the John Day River up to the line of ordinary high water.
I included the contact information for the members of the State Land Board at the end of this post.
You can monitor the Oregon State Land Board October Meeting Agenda at the following site. As of today, the agenda had not been posted, however, I was told by a source in Division of State Lands that navigability was indeed the first item on the agenda. They should have the agenda posted soon. Monitor it to confirm the Navigability issue. You can also call the Division of State Lands and ask about the agenda: (503) 378-3805.
www.oregonstatelands.us (http://www.oregonstatelands.us)
If you can possibly make it to the meeting, please do. Come prepared to testify! I suspect there will be more than one or two people there that came to ask them to halt the study. This is speculation on my part; however, I do not think we can gamble that they won’t try to stop it.
The Oregon State Land Board will meet at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 at the following location:
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
PO Box 5417 (mailing)
Interpretive Center - 61907 Seven Devils Rd. (street)
Charleston, Oregon 97420
Phone: (541) 888-5558 FAX: (541) 888-5559
The contact information for the State Land Board follows. Please call, write, email, and fax each one and let them know it is time to stay the course and let the Division of State Lands complete the John Day River Navigability Study, on behalf of all Oregonians. Thank them for their courage in ordering the start of the study and thank them for having the courage to finish it. Remind them it’s the right thing to do.
Scruffy
P.S. Please post a note saying you made the contact. That will bump this post to the top and help us keep the pressure on the Land Board. The more they hear from us, the more likely they will do the right thing for all Oregoninians. Thanks. SBV
RANDALL T. EDWARDS
State Treasurer of Oregon
Phone: (503) 378-4329
Fax: (503) 373-7051
Email: randall.edwards@state.or.us
350 Winter Street NE Suite 100
Salem OR 97301-3896
Bill Bradbury
Oregon Secretary of State
Phone: (503) 986-1523
Fax: (503) 986-1616
Email: oregon.sos@state.or.us
136 State Capitol
Salem OR 97310-0722
TED KULONGOSKI
Governor of Oregon
Phone: (503) 378-4582
Fax: (503) 378-6827
Email: http://governor.oregon.gov/contact.htm
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
[ 10-07-2003, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Scruffy Bearded Varmint ]