The Oregon State Marine Board’s representative for the Western States Boating Administrators Association (WSBAA), along with other agency staff will attend the WSBAA annual conference in Astoria, on May 20 – 23. “Having the conference in our backyard is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our incredible boating state,” says Brian Paulsen, the Marine Board’s Boating Safety Program Manager and Boating Law Administrator for Oregon. “It’s even more special because two of our marine law enforcement partners are receiving regional awards for their exceptional service and contribution to recreational boating safety in Oregon. They will receive their awards during the award dinner reception on May 22.” Sergeant Nate Thompson from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office was nominated for the prestigious Hollister Award. In 2023, Sergeant Thompson led the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office marine patrol team and completed over 7,000 boater contacts during the boating season. In whole, the program completed 1/5th of the total boater contacts made statewide among the other 31 County Sheriff’s Offices and the Oregon State Police. Sergeant Thompson and his team also assisted neighboring counties during the peak salmon fishing seasons for heightened awareness and boating safety patrols. Sergeant Thompson has been with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years, where the majority of that time he has worked in marine law enforcement. Sergeant Thompson exemplifies excellence in education through enforcement, positive interactions with boaters, boating safety intervention by conversation, and training the next generation of marine law enforcement officers. He has undeniably made a tremendous impact on thousands of boaters across Oregon and trained dozens of marine law enforcement officers for the future of boating safety. Also from Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Marine Deputy Adam Peterson was nominated for the Western Region’s Officer of the Year Award. Since being assigned to marine patrol, Deputy Peterson completed 5,826 boater safety compliance examinations. In 2023, Deputy Peterson logged 429 motorized and 1,405 non-motorized boater contacts. Knowing that most drownings occur when boaters are not wearing a life jacket, he issued 27 citations and 56 warnings for life jacket violations. In 2023, 246 citations were written for life jacket violations in Oregon, meaning Deputy Peterson accounted for over 1/10th of all life jacket citation violations statewide. Deputy Petersons dedication to marine law enforcement and boating safety is shown not only through his public interactions but also by his dedication to training other marine law enforcement around the state. Deputy Peterson is one of the top marine instructors in the Oregon State Marine Board’s marine law enforcement training program. His ability to operate a drift boat, jet boat and teach marine law enforcement to his peers surpasses every and all expectations. Evaluations from his peers include words such as “professional”, “dedicated” and “heroic.” The Western States Boating Administrators Association (WSBAA) is a non-profit organization that brings together boating law administrators and recreational boating professionals from the Western United States, including American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Coast Guard to discuss boating safety issues of mutual concern. The annual conference is the stage for collaborative conversations to share best practices in boating education, law enforcement, waterway management; promote greater uniformity in boating laws and recognize the achievements of members.
