In September 2016, the Oregon State Marine Board received a petition requesting a rule amendment to OAR 250-020-0385 Boat Operations in Yamhill and Marion Counties to extend the existing deadline for wake enhancement devices (WED) upstream 1.5 miles on the Willamette River. Staff recommended denying this rulemaking and sought direction from the Board. The initial WED rule was adopted in 2008. At the Marine Board’s January 2017 meeting, the five-member Board instructed staff to convene a stakeholders group to revisit the rule, OAR 250-020-0385, with respect to WED boat operations in the Newberg Pool area. A stakeholder meeting is being held in Newberg on June 20, 2017, at the Newberg Public Library, 503 E. Hancock Street, Newberg, Oregon, at 6:00 pm. The stakeholder group will review the current rule language and draft consensus rule language that will address the concerns of water users and property owners. No rulemaking is being proposed at this time. Stakeholders include riverfront homeowners, boaters, industry, Marine Patrol and the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation. Members of the public are invited to attend and observe the stakeholder proceedings. No public comment will be accepted. For more information about Marine Board rulemaking or public notices, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/info/Pages/Agency%20Info%20Home.aspx.
