Posts Tagged ‘ willamette riverkeeper ’

Portland Enviro Groups Rally For Willamette River Restoration Plan

January 27, 2010
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Cruise the Willamette downstream from central Portland and you’ll soon realize this is not the wild river our city founders knew.  Shipping terminals, cargo vessels, scrapyards, oil tanks, warehouses and gazillions of imported cars line the riverbank. This area, as city officials like to describe it, is a working river. An important area for business and for jobs.

But it’s home to wildlife as well. Herons, sea lions, otters and fish spend some or all of their lives here. Fall salmon numbers in the upper Willamette system have been surprisingly robust, giving hope that the endangered fish might be making a comeback. For that to happen, salmon and steelhead have to migrate at least twice through the dirtiest section of the Willamette. The working part of the river. A Superfund site.

Soon, the Portland City Council will hold a public hearing on a plan to reconcile all these different demands. Two of Portland’s best known environmental groups, Willamette Riverkeeper and the Audubon Society, are concerned over industry attempts to weaken some of the environmental protections in the plan. Those industry objections led Mayor Adams to cancel a public hearing that was scheduled for last month. It could also be the reason why Thursday’s planned hearing was put off as well.

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VIDEO: Hey! NW Natural Rallies To Block Palomar Pipeline

December 8, 2009
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The Hey! NW Natural campaign to block the Palomar Pipeline moved from cyberspace to the physical world Tuesday afternoon with a rally in downtown Portland. It was a small group, not surprising considering the cold weather.

But they came armed with the names of some 1500 landowners who’ll be affected if the pipeline is built, and a petition with 400 more names of other Oregonians who oppose it. The rally was held outside the headquarters of NW Natural Gas, one of the main partners trying to build Palomar.

Hey! NW Natural has been busy on social media sites trying to raise awareness about the pipeline, the damage they say it will do to Oregon’s environment and the impact it will have on landowners who have property along the proposed route.

See our story: Can Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Stop An LNG Pipeline?

Video: Highlights From Hey! NW Natural Rally

Meanwhile, LNG opponents scored an big court victory they think will help them build the opposition to Palomar.

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“No Wake” Zone Approved For Ross Island Lagoon

October 15, 2009
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A change of heart for state officials and a small victory for some Portland area conservation groups.

This week, the Oregon State Marine Board approved a “no wake” zone for the Ross Island Lagoon. It means, with a few exceptions, that motorized boats traveling into the lagoon will have to go slow enough so they don’t leave a wake.

Early this year, the Portland Audubon Society and the Willamette Riverkeeper asked the board to ban all motorized boats from the lagoon and for a “no wake” zone in the Holgate Channel on the east side of Ross Island.  The groups were trying to create a quiet area for kayakers, canoeists, and the area’s wildlife.  The ideas were strongly opposed by water skiers and jet boaters and the Marine Board decided to vote them down.

But the two groups asked again, and this time the Marine Board moved a little closer in their direction with the “no wake” rule for the lagoon.  It also directed staff to see if they could find a long term solution for the Holgate Channel.

Ross Island is actually a small chain of islands in the Willamette River near downtown Portland.  The city recently acquired part of the area as a wildlife park, while most of the island remains in private ownership and is operated as a gravel pit.  But sightings of Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons and River Otters are common.  Portland Audubon and the Willamette Riverkeeper are hoping to improve conditions for wildlife and give kayakers and canoeists a calm stretch of the river where they wouldn’t have to compete with bigger and faster boats.

State Kills “No Wake” Plan For Ross Island

August 3, 2009
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Hopes for quiet area around Ross Island were killed last week by the Oregon State Marine Board.  The board voted 3 to 2 against a proposed rule for a “No Wake Zone” on the east side of the island in the Holgate Channel.

Supporters wanted an area where motorized boats couldn’t go faster than 5mph.  The idea was to keep them quiet and slow, creating a more natural like experience for kayakers and canoeists.  The proposed rule would also have banned boats with motors from the Ross Island lagoon.  Two of the area’s more prominent environmental groups, the Portland Audubon Society and the Willamette Riverkeeper were behind the change.  They even convinced the Portland City Council to endorse the proposal.

But the “no wake” idea was strongly opposed by waterskiers and wakeboarders.  They like the Holgate Channel because it’s one of the few spots on the Willamette River where you can count on having a smooth surface on the water.

In a press release, the Marine Board said its members didn’t want to impose new regulations on users of the river, and called upon the various groups to have more dialogue with each other.  It went to say, “user groups need to share the water, respect each others’ values and show more courtesy.”

Ross Island “No Wake” Rule Public Hearing Tonight

May 27, 2009
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The State Marine Board holds its first public hearing tonight about a proposed “no wake” rule at Ross Island on the Willamette River near downtown Portland.

The rule is being proposed by the Portland Audubon Society and Willamette Riverkeeper, who want to create a “quiet” area for kayakers, canoeists, and wildlife.  They’re asking for a speed limit on the east side of the island in the Holgate Channel, so that motorized boats can’t go fast enough to create wakes.  They also want all motorized boats banned from the Ross Island lagoon.  Commercial traffic would be exempt.  The Portland City Council endorses the rule.

But that puts them in conflict with other recreational users, wake boarders and water skiers.  They prize the Holgate Channel for its slow, calm waters that provide ideal conditions for how they want to use the river.

The hearing begins at 7 p.m. in The Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue.

A decision by the State Marine Board is not expected until the fall.

Calming The Waters Around Ross Island

April 13, 2009
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A plan to limit motorized boat traffic near Ross Island goes before the Oregon State Marine Board Tuesday.

A coalition of conservation groups is asking the board for a no-wake zone in the Willamette River along the east side of Ross Island (actually a complex of islands) in an area known as the Holgate Channel. A no-wake zone limits boat motor speeds to 5mph or less. Plus, they’re asking for a motor free zone inside the Ross Island lagoon.

The proposal is already generating controversy with other users of the river.

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