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

Yaquina River marshes drowned by a King Tide. Photo by John Bauer.
February 14, 2017

Global Warming Commission Tracks State’s Climate Impacts

Yaquina River marshes drowned by a King Tide. Photo by John Bauer. The Oregon Global Warming Commission is a 25-member advisory group created by the 2007 Legislature. Members were appointed and directed to develop long-term policy recommendations to prepare for, adapt to, and combat global warming. Public comments can be submitted to the commission at...Read more
Waldport High School, Photo by Sara Schreiber.
February 13, 2017

Sharing the Coast Conference Arrives in March

Waldport High School, site of the Sharing the Coast Conference. Photo by Sara Schreiber. For the past eight years, CoastWatch has sponsored the Sharing the Coast Conference each spring. The event provides a wealth of background information relevant to monitoring the shoreline and participating in citizen science. The conference is open to everyone, and covers...Read more
A scene from the Elliott State Forest. Photo courtesy of Coast Range Forest Watch.
February 12, 2017

Forest Activists Urge Public Ownership for the Elliott

A scene from the Elliott State Forest. Photo courtesy of Coast Range Forest Watch. The Oregon Department of State Lands is considering sale of the Elliott State Forest near Coos Bay. The state has received a single offer to buy the 82,000 acre tract, from a consortium of Lone Rock Timber and the Cow Creek tribe. The proposal, in the view of Oregon Shores and a...Read more
King Tide fills Yaquina wetlands. Photo by Meg Reed.
January 26, 2017

King Tide Parties Celebrate Project, Look to Future

King Tide fills Yaquina wetlands. Photo by Meg Reed. Each winter’s King Tide Project concludes with a series of wrap-up parties. These celebrate the good work that has been done, but also help to prepare us for the next year’s effort. CoastWatch, along with co-sponsors Surfrider and the Coastal Management Program, invite one and all to join one of these...Read more
Housing and Haystack Rock. Photo by Sonja Peterson.
January 13, 2017

NOAA Completes Evaluation of Oregon Coastal Management Program

Housing and Haystack Rock. Photo by Sonja Peterson. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just released the findings that emerged from its review of Oregon’s Coastal Management Program. For the most part, the findings are very positive—and the biggest black mark against Oregon’s coastal program isn’t something that coastal planners and...Read more
Clay Creek. Photo courtesy of BLM.
December 21, 2016

Mid-coast Area Pioneers New Water Planning Approach

Clay Creek. Photo courtesy of BLM. A newly formed body, the Mid-Coast Water Planning Partnership, has been convened to study the area’s water needs. The group’s meetings, open to anyone concerned about water availability and water usage, will take place during 2017 on the last Wednesday of alternate months beginning in January. The first meeting of the year...Read more
North Spit wetlands near Jordan Cove site.
December 18, 2016

Jordan Cove LNG Battle Will Continue

North Spit wetlands near Jordan Cove site. Less than a week after the Jordan Cove Energy Project’s proposed LNG (liquefied natural gas) project appeared dead, having received a final denial from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the hopes of opponents, including Oregon Shores, were dashed. Jordan Cove announced that it would start the application...Read more
Coos Bay's North Spit. Photo by Alex Derr.
December 9, 2016

FERC Issues Final Denial of Jordan Cove LNG Export Plan

Coos Bay's North Spit. Photo by Alex Derr. Great news arrived today (12/9/2016). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a final denial of the proposed Jordan Cove LNG (liquefied natural gas) export terminal on Coos Bay’s North Spit. This may not be the final conclusion to the story, but it is a major breakthrough for the coalition that has opposed LNG...Read more
Shoreline at Otter Rock. Photo by Kirt Edblom.
December 8, 2016

Speak Out Now on Offshore Research Priorities

Shoreline at Otter Rock. Photo by Kirt Edblom. Given the predilections of the incoming administration, the possibility of a federal push to allow oil and gas leases or mining permits in federal waters off Oregon’s shore looms larger than it has for a generation. That makes the current public comment period for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)...Read more
Rising seas at Shore Acres
December 8, 2016

Results from Climate Migration Symposium Now Available

Rising seas are only one result of climate change. Photo by Bruce Swenson. One possible impact of climate change in the Pacific Northwest, indirect but important, could be increased population due to “climate refugees.” Most projections of future climate change suggest that our region will be less dramatically impacted than many, leading to speculation that...Read more