Climate change is reshaping our coastal and ocean ecosystems, and we are at a critical moment as the impacts come into focus: warmer seas, habitat and biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and increased erosion and inundation of our beaches and coastal communities. Building a resilient coast is central to Oregon Shores’ mission, and it is refreshing to see a similar message coming from our state government.

On October 23rd, Governor Kotek took a proactive step toward building resilience in our natural spaces and our communities by signing Executive Order 25-26. This order directs our state agencies to coordinate efforts toward minimizing climate impacts and prioritizing climate adaptation for our natural and working lands and waters. State agencies are asked to consider the durability and lasting effectiveness of their climate resilience programs, initiatives, and actions to better safeguard habitat and community resilience into the future.

As a member of the Oregon Ocean Alliance, Oregon Shores is proud to have played an integral role in providing input and recommendations to the Governor’s office in preparation for this executive action. With our recommendations, we strived to ensure ocean health is kept central to our state’s climate resiliency strategy. 

Oregon Shores applauds the Governor’s leadership in taking this meaningful step to conserve, protect, and restore our natural spaces, and we look forward to taking action. 

 

What is in the Executive Order? 

The Executive Order outlines 5 primary actions: 

1. Foster resilient lands, waters, and communities
This action asks agencies to define resilience attributes that are scientifically sound to help identify characteristics of state lands and water that are currently resilient to climate change, or capable of achieving resilience if supported by further action. 

2. Keep Oregon’s Working Lands and Waters Working
This action will use the resilience attributes defined in action 1 (above) to a) identify and improve programs and practices that protect and promote working land and water stewardship, and b) evaluate opportunities that support long-term resilience of nearshore marine resources.

3. Conserve Natural Lands and Waters to Act as Resilience Anchors in the Face of Climate Change Impacts
This action is to a) support the protection, conservation, connection, or restoration of ten percent of state lands and waters within ten years, as compared to the 2025 baseline conditions, b) use the resilience attributes defined in action 1 (above) to prioritize the implementation of climate resilience programs in support of action 3a, and c) develop innovative mitigation solutions that can support long-term ecosystem climate resilience.

4. Lead by Example: State-Owned and Managed Lands and Waters
This action directs agencies that own or manage lands or waters to develop and implement strategies that can enhance climate resilience as a co-benefit of currently implemented management objectives, adding that future impacts should be explicitly considered in planning.

5. Ensure a Liveable Oregon
This action directs a) the state Resilience Officer to identify and offer funding pathways for communities to adapt and thrive in the face of increasingly severe climate risks and support long-term recovery from climate disasters, and b) implement a 20-year resilience plan to reduce the risks of severe wildfire to our communities through resilient landscape management. 

Together, the five actions outlined above provide a climate resiliency framework that is both approachable and backed by science. While this order pertains to all waters and lands in Oregon, we are pleased to see coastal and nearshore habitats called out, and that evaluations of the efficacy of climate, resilience, and sustainability initiatives for these habitats will be performed by trusted hands: the Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, the Oregon Ocean Science Trust, and Oregon Sea Grant. 

 

Primary Action 3a: the 10×10 initiative

The goal to reach 10% protection, conservation, connection, or restoration in 10 years (10×10) represents an important course of action. While numbers such as 10% can help set marketable goal posts, it’s important to note that these numbers can be largely arbitrary and fall into the trap of prioritizing quantity over quality. However, we are reassured by Governor Kotek’s explicit request for identifying science-backed resilience attributes and accurate 2025 baseline data to shape clear actions for building resilience into effective land and ocean management. We also commit to working with state agencies to ensure that these actions are not just numbers on paper, but represent tractable protections for our key ocean and coastal habitats. 

What could 10×10 look like for our ocean and coastal habitats? 

  • 4,818 more acres of marine protected areas (source)
  • 173 more acres of restored tidal wetlands (source)
  • 68 acres of eelgrass habitat safeguarded in Coos Bay alone (source)

 

What’s next? 

The Executive Order is to be implemented immediately. As such, we see this order both supporting and helping advance Oregon Shores’ ongoing priorities in protecting and conserving Oregon’s coasts and oceans through our Coastal Resilience and Marine Conservation programs. In continued partnership with our state agencies, we look forward to building our actions on reducing the impacts of climate change in our coastal and ocean environments, while safeguarding habitat resilience, biodiversity, and our communities for the future. 

Read the Governor’s Press Release here

Read the full-text of the Executive Order 25-26 here

While this order serves as an important framework for both incorporating and prioritizing efforts toward climate resilience for our state, the Governor’s office did not make a financial commitment. Amid continued federal funding cuts and state budget constraints, it’s up to us to do the hard work to ensure we make a lasting impact on our coast’s resilience for years to come. Find out more ways to support our momentum or make a donation today.

 


Dr. Hannah Epstein
Marine Conservation Manager
[email protected]

 

  • Coastal Lands
  • Marine Conservation