Coastal Conservation News Archive

A complete archive of our past news articles, beginning in Fall 2016; older articles from our previous website are available in the historical archive

Jordan Cove Battle Enters New Phase

Jordan Cove and the North Spit.\Photo by Rena Olson. Events have moved rapidly in the first weeks of 2020 in the long battle against the LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal proposed by the Jordan Cove Energy Project for Coos Bay’s North Spit, and the associated Pacific Connector pipeline that would stretch 229 miles across southern Oregon. For well over a...Read more

Custom Oregon Shores Coast Map Now on Sale

maptopcrop.jpg Oregon Shores offers a specially designed map of the Oregon coast, focusing on conservation and public access. We collaborated with Raven Maps to create this custom, high-quality map of the entire Oregon coastal region. The project was initiated to honor the 50 th anniversary of the Oregon Beach Bill in 2017, and was initially offered for $125...Read more

Oregon Shores Board Election Results Are In

solomon_al_at_ecola.jpg The annual online election for the Oregon Shores board of directors has concluded. All candidates were elected—indeed, all were elected unanimously We’re glad to welcome two “new” board members, although one is a familiar presence. Al Solomon rejoins the board after a four-year hiatus, having served two earlier terms. Dr. Solomon...Read more

Beach Water Quality Monitoring Continues to Reveal Pollution

Frolicking in ocean waters--check to make sure they aren't polluted.\Photo by Sonja Peterson. The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program , based at the Oregon Health...Read more

New Environmental Steward Program Boosts CoastWatching

Marine debris surveying will be one way of earning a certificate.\Photo by Jesse Jones. Oregon Shores and CoastWatch announce a new partnership with Clatsop Community College, the Environmental Steward Certificate program. The goals of the new initiative are to boost the skills of CoastWatchers and provide mile adopters with the opportunity to take classes and...Read more

State Adopts Plan to Address Ocean Acidification

Oregon's ocean off Netarts, Cape Lookout in the background.\Photo by Dale Harmer. Mandated by the 2017 Oregon Legislature, the state developed a plan to address the growing problem of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH). The Oregon Coordinating Council on Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (OAH), a body composed of scientists and agency leaders, with...Read more

FERC Comment Deadline Passes, Response Awaited

The full Jordan Cove Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Don't worry--you don't have to respond to every statement! The public comment period to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) concerning the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Jordan Cove Energy Project’s proposed LNG (liquefied natural gas) project on Coos Bay’s North Spit...Read more

New CoastWatch Volunteer Coordinator Comes Aboard

New CoastWatch volunteer coordinator Jesse Jones.\Photo by Rita Goldfarb. We’ve reached the happy end of a long search for our new CoastWatch volunteer coordinator, replacing Fawn Custer, who remains active as our CoastWatch citizen science trainer. An enthusiastic welcome to Jessica (Jesse) Jones, who now steps into the coordinator role. An Astoria resident, a...Read more

Orca Awareness Month Declared in Oregon

For 13 years, June has been proclaimed Orca Awareness Month by the Governor of Washington — and for the first time in 2016, Orca Awareness Month was celebrated in Oregon and in British Columbia as well! The American Cetacean Society’s Oregon Chapter kicked things off early with an Orca Awareness Day at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Any community group, science center, non-profit...Read more
Spouting horn at Cape Perpetua.\Photo by Bonnie Moreland.

Rocky Shore Policy Update under Consideration

Spouting horn at Cape Perpetua.\Photo by Bonnie Moreland. For the first time in a quarter-century, Oregon is revisiting the state’s policies that protect our rocky shores. The current Rocky Shores Management Strategy, dating back to the early 1990s, was never fully implemented, and existing regulations haven’t been revised in the face of growing population,...Read more