CORRECTION: Marine Board Approves Legislative Concepts, Budget, Opening Rulemaking For Upper Rogue River -07/29/24

The Oregon State Marine Board held its quarterly hybrid Board meeting on July 24, in Salem. The Board approved a legislative concept and agency-requested budget for the 2025-2027 biennium.  The Board also opened rulemaking for the Upper Rogue River in Jackson County. 

In collaboration with the agency’s Guide Advisory Committee, agency staff proposed restructuring the fees associated with being a registered Outfitter Guide in Oregon. This legislative concept, to be included as a policy option package, allows the agency to restructure fees, and maintain current program service levels for law enforcement contracts. The last program change was implemented in 2014.

The Board also approved the agency’s 2025-2027 recommended budget including two additional policy option packages: increasing the Waterway Access Permit limitation to free up more funding for nonmotorized access improvements to meet increased grant requests and adding a permanent position in the Title and Registration section to improve transaction processing times.

In another agenda item, the Board proactively opened rulemaking on the Upper Rogue River in Jackson County. The Board asked staff to schedule a meeting locally in early October to hear invited testimony with representatives from all sides and to have an open public comment period for anyone interested in participating in the process. The Board will consider the information they receive at the public meeting on whether to pursue a rule for boat operations at its October 23 quarterly meeting. If the Board approves a new rule, there will be an additional public comment period on the proposed rule language between the end of October and the January 2025 quarterly meeting. 

For the meeting replay link, detailed PowerPoint presentations and other materials, visit the Marine Board’s Public Meetings Page. 

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