Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to Host Town Hall Meeting, April 28

The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) will host a public Town Hall Meeting at the Owens Building in Coquille, Oregon from 2:30-4:30 on April 28.  The theme is “Working Lands and Conservation on the Coast – Opportunities and Challenges.”  “This town hall meeting provides our Board members the opportunity to hear directly from landowners, conservation groups, and watershed restoration partners about unique approaches to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife habitat on lands that also support farming, ranching and timber operations,” says Tom Byler, OWEB’s Executive Director.  The Town Hall meeting will be structured for members of the public to provide input on:  • What opportunities exist to conserve and enhance habitat and natural resources on working lands (farm, forest, timber) along Oregon’s coast?  • What challenges exist to implementing habitat conservation in coastal areas?  • What unique approaches should the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board consider as it funds conservation on coastal working lands?  The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) is a state agency that provides grants to help Oregonians take care of local streams, rivers, wetlands and natural areas. Community members and landowners use scientific criteria to decide jointly what needs to be done to conserve and improve rivers and natural habitat in the places where they live.  OWEB grants are funded from the Oregon Lottery, federal dollars, and salmon license plate revenue. The agency is led by a 17-member citizen board drawn from the public at large, tribes, and federal and state natural resource agency boards and commissions.  For more information about the Town Hall meeting, contact Brandi Elmer at 503-986-0181 or by email at brandi.elmer@state.or.us.  The Board’s quarterly meeting will be held the following two days (April 29-30) in Bandon at ‘The Barn’, 1200 W. 11th St. SW, Bandon, OR 97411.  Public comment is also taken at the Board meeting, though comments at the meeting are limited to three-five minutes per speaker related to the Board’s agenda items. The Board agenda can be found at http://www.oregon.gov/OWEB/docs/board/2014/Agenda_April.pdf.  More information about OWEB can be found at www.oregon.gov/OWEB.