The Oregon State Marine Board conditionally approved two Cycle One boating facility grants and approved standardizing and reorganizing administrative rule language during their quarterly Board meeting, held on January 25, in Salem. Pending legislative approval of the agency’s 2023-2025 budget, the Board conditionally approved a boating facility grant for Mayer State Park. After several years to obtain the required permits, this improvement project will include design, engineering, and technical assistance by Marine Board facility engineers. The project will replace the boat ramp and boarding docks and include better circulation for parking and maneuvering. The parking area will be expanded with defined trailer and single-car spaces. Additionally, the vault toilet will be relocated to improve accessibility, to and from the parking area and launch ramp. The project also includes adding a swale for stormwater runoff. These facility improvements will greatly improve safety, launching and retrieving times, and vehicle circulation. The Board approved $342,000 in Boating Facility Grant funds, from the 2023-25 Boating Facility Grant funding, combined with $1,687,011 in cash and administrative match for a total project cost of $2,029,011. The Board also conditionally approved a Cycle One grant application for the Port of Bandon’s Marina and boat ramp improvements. This is a complex, multi-faceted project to replace the boat ramp, boarding docks, abutment, and piling. Additionally, the marina will be replaced and reconfigured with a breakwater dock, short and long-term moorage docks, new piling, gangway, utilities, and a nonmotorized launch dock. The pumpout and dump station will be reinstalled on new docks. The Board approved $1,020,899.31 in Boating Facility Grant funds, $145,100.59 in Waterway Access Grant funds, $762,283 in federal Boating Infrastructure Grant funds and $61,827 in federal Clean Vessel Act funds, for a total of $1,990,109.90 from the 2023-25 Boating Facility Grant funding. These funds, combined with $7,397,389.10 of applicant resources and administrative match for a total project cost of $9,387,499. The Board and Director Warren expressed their gratitude to the Port Manager, Jeff Griffin, for his diligent effort in working with the community and other partners on a significant funding match for this comprehensive project. In its final agenda item, the also Board approved a staff proposal to reorganize administrative rules and standardize rule language with very few substantive changes. Nearly all the revisions are part of a reorganization and standardization effort and make no functional changes to local boating laws. Staff will file the proposed rules with the Secretary of State’s Office in February. For more detailed information, please see the meeting materials linked on the Marine Board’s Public Meetings page.
