The Oregon State Marine Board denied a petition to repeal rules for the Lower Willamette River and approved 16, Cycle One Boating Facility grant applications during their quarterly Board meeting held virtually, on June 14.
The Board considered a petition to repeal recent regulatory changes that went into effect May 1, on the Lower Willamette River from Willamette Falls downstream to the Hawthorne Bridge. After a brief deliberation, the Board voted to deny the petition, reinforcing their commitment to the rules that were adopted in January 2021. Marine Board staff will update the Board on the implementation of the new rules and associated changes in boating activities in late 2022.
The Cycle One boating facility grant round was extremely competitive. The agency allocates seventy percent of available grant funds each biennium to larger projects that may require the entire two years to complete. Twenty-five grant applications were submitted, identifying $8.6 million in project needs and over $5 million from the agency’s 2021-23 funding with $3.5 million available. Sixteen grant projects were awarded funding. Ninety-five written public comments were received, largely in support of grant requests; a 30 percent increase in comments from the last grant cycle. Additionally, OSMB staff consult with Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribal Governments on grant applications.
The Marine Board approved the following grants projects:
Northwest Region
- Port of Columbia County, Scappoose Bay Marina. The grant will pay for consultant services for design, engineering and permitting. [BJ*O1] The Board approved $87,500.00 in Boating Facility Grant funds and $87,500.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $175,000.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $350,000.00.
Southern Region
- City of Coos Bay, Eastside and Empire Facilities. The grant will pay for replacing the 20-year-old boarding docks. The Board approved $67,750.00 in Boating Facility Grant funds combined with $203,250.00 federal Sport Fish Restoration funds from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The city provided $149,774.08 of applicant match. The total project cost is $420,774.08.
- Douglas County, Amacher Park. The grant will pay for replacing and expanding the asphalt parking area, replacing the upper portion of the boat ramp and expanding a nonmotorized boat staging area. The Board approved $71,625.00 in Boating Facility Grant funds and $71,625.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $428,250.00 federal Sport Fish Restoration funds from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The County provided $190,500 of applicant match. The total project cost is $762,000.00.
- City of Grants Pass, Baker Park. The grant will pay for an overlay to the existing asphalt parking area, striping and curbing, add ADA curb cuts and stormwater system. The Board approved $75,000.00 Boating Facility Grant funds and $75,000.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $53,970.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $203,970.00.
- Jackson County, Upper Rogue Regional Park -Shady Cove. The grant pays for consultation services for an archaeological survey and hydrologic analysis to replace the boat ramp, expand the parking area, and add a much desired nonmotorized boat staging and launch area. The Board approved $40,000.00 in Boating Facility Grant funds and $40,000.00 in Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $22,500.00 in applicant match. The total project cost is $102,500.00.
Eastern Region
- Deschutes National Forest, Wyeth Park. The grant pays for replacing the boat ramp, repairing the gravel road and parking area. The Board approved $22,640.04 Boating Facility Grant funds and $52,827.96 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $75,468.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $150,936.00.
- Boardman Parks and Recreation, Boardman Marina. The grant pays for consultant services for permitting to reconfigure and replace the short-term tie-up docks and gangway. The Board approved $45,500.00 Boating Facility Grant funds and $10,500.00 in federal Boating Infrastructure Grant funds combined with $21,000.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $77,000.00.
- City of La Grande, Morgan Lake. The grant pays for a new vault toilet. The Board approved $9,250.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $47,192.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $56,442.00.
- Port of Hood River, Port boat launch. The grant pays for replacing the boarding docks and abutments. The Board approved $132,300.00 Boating Facility Grant funds combined with $161,592.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $293,892.00.
Valley Region
- Polk County, Buena Vista Boat Ramp. The grant pays for a long-awaited boat ramp replacement, boarding docks, and expands the asphalt parking area. The grant will also add a vault toilet and a nonmotorized boat staging area. The Board approved $350,000.00 in Boating Facility Grant funds, $50,000.00 in Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $1,200,000.00 in federal Sport Fish Restoration funds from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The County is providing $91,434.00 for a total project cost of $1,691,434.00.
- Lane County, Howard Buford Recreation Area. The grant pays for consultant services for design, engineering and permitting services for a new nonmotorized boating access site. The Board approved $66,000.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $29,548.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $95,548.00.
- Marion County, Butteville Landing. The grant pays for a nonmotorized boat dock, piling and gangway to the dock. The Board approved $24,000.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $101,171.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $125,171.00.
- State Parks, Luckiamute State Natura Area. The grant pays for consultant services for design, engineering and permitting services for new nonmotorized boating access. The Board approved $56,250.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $23,750.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $80,000.00.
Portland/Metro
- City of Tigard, Cook Park. The grant pays for consultant services for design, engineering and permitting to replace boarding docks and to add nonmotorized, low freeboard boat launching docks. The Board approved $3,900.00 Boating Facility Grant funds and $74,100.00 Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $72,000.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $150,000.00.
- Tualatin Riverkeepers, Tualatin River outreach[BJ*O2] . The grant pays for community, grass-roots level engagement and diversity (equitable access) for a holistic approach to recreational nonmotorized boating access on the Tualatin River. This effort will provide information and support to existing and future boating facility providers around the importance of access, connection to the river trail and expand opportunities to the Hispanic and LatinX community. The Board approved $40,000.00 of Waterway Access Grant funds combined with $33,000.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $73,000.00.
- State Parks, Sandy Beach-Schwitter Landing. The grant pays for repair to the short-term tie-up dock and debris boom from prior storm damage. The Board approved $2,500.00 Boating Facility Grant funds and $82,500.00 federal Boating Infrastructure Grant funds combined with $27,560.00 of applicant match. The total project cost is $112,560.00.
Learn more about the agency’s boating facilities program and opportunities to engage with the Marine Board at boat.oregon.gov.
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The Marine Board is directly funded by boaters in the form of registration, title, and permit fees, as well as through marine fuel taxes. No lottery, general fund tax dollars or local facility parking fees support the agency or its programs. Boater-paid fees support the boating public through boating safety services (on-the-water law enforcement, training, and equipment), boating safety education, grants for the construction and maintenance of boating access facilities, and environmental protection programs. For more information about the Marine Board and its programs, visit boat.oregon.gov.