I will always remember Louisiana Congressman Charlie Melancon’s tearful speech telling a House Energy Committee meeting regarding the Gulf oil spill that even though it was Lousiana’s shores being decimated by crude, “these are America’s wetlands”. The Coos Bay Estuary Plan, adopted by the Coos County Commission in 1975 says “The Coos Bay Estuarine region is ideally suited to the harvesting and processing of fish and shellfish that inhabit not only the estuary but offshore waters of the Pacific Ocean. Major fish and shellfish types that are presently being utilized commercially are Albacore Tuna, various ground fish, crab, shrimp and salmon.”
The South Slough Estuarine Research Reserve was formed to study just one small part of this diverse and rich ecosystem.
South Slough NERR encompasses a mixture of open water channels, tidal and freshwater wetlands, riparian areas, and forested uplands. The Reserve supports and coordinates research, education, and stewardship programs which serve to enhance a scientific and public understanding of estuaries and contribute to improved estuarine management. Over the past 37 years, South Slough NERR has grown in the depth and scope of its programs and developed facilities to meet the needs of visitors and staff.
These delicate waterways have been under siege since the timber industry discovered the Port Orford cedar and it will surprise many locals to know that the muddy brown Coquille River once ran blue and was deep enough for big ships to travel east past Myrtle Point. A proposed LNG terminal and gas pipelines, methane gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing and chromite ore strip mines are some of the evils threatening these rivers and estuaries.
Coos County rivers and feeder creeks and wetlands are not just the county’s wetlands and Oregon’s wetlands, they are America’s wetlands. They support and feed fishermen and farmers and multimillion dollar industry yet only a handful of scrappy locals have come to their defense.
Today, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals remanded a decision of the Coos County Commission based upon two assignments of error “approving a permit to construct a 49.72-mile segment of a natural gas pipeline”. First, the Board found the County may have erred in not requiring the signatures of all affected property owners… “clearly requires the signature of the equitable owner of the property, that is, the fee owner or the contract purchaser”. (There is a bill, HB 2700 supported by Rep Arne Roblan, presently before the State Legislature referred to as a ‘ LNG fast track bill” to enable pipeline or utility transmission applicants to do away with this requirement.)
Secondly, the little Olympia oyster, which has never held a protest sign or begged for a cent in donations, may well have saved the watershed and estuary and fisheries for years to come. LUBA has agreed the County “failed to adopt adequate findings addressing issues raised below regarding impacts on a particular species of oyster, Olympia oysters, found in Haynes Inlet, where the pipeline crosses the estuary.”
The Olympia oyster was raised as an issue in comments submitted by Jody McCaffree who took the initiative to hire a marine biologist. This action is illustrative of the difference between generic environmental advocacy groups and a real grassroots effort by those closest to the problem. These are America’s wetlands but groups like the Sierra Club and other well known environmental groups didn’t raise any money and fight to protect them. These are America’s wetlands but it was locals, people who grew up here or moved here and love the land and the water and a native bivalve known as the Olympia oyster who dug deep into their pockets and their time and their hearts to protect them.
The funds raised to bring this appeal were raised by citizens across Southern Oregon, spearheaded by the tireless work, incredible tenacity and expert intuitive guidance of Jody McCaffree. The fight may not be over and the same people will willingly dig deep into their pockets again but these are America’s wetlands and they are worth it.
Thanks, Jody. I for one, am very grateful.
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Thank you Jody, and all those who have supported her. Our own Erin Brockovitch !
Yes, thank you to Jody for her persistence and diligence and inspiring us all to keep up the fight. RE: Sierra Club. I tried about five years ago to get the Sierra Club involved in this battle and got nothing but obfuscation and resistance. They are compromising where no compromise should ever take place. To compromise is to lose when it comes to environmental battles.
These so called environmental advocacy non-profit groups are earning a bad reputation – not just here but everywhere-they take the donations and ride into town just as the battle is being won by the little guy-put up a sign with their name on it, take a picture and send out a donation request while leaving the real heroes unfunded and unreimbursed
Re Jody’s comment about the Sierra Club, they recently took the time to send a letter to me – name spelled incorrectly – telling me what a wonderful person that I am and asking for $15 so I may help them in causes such as this. Card carrying member – number 45303204 – wrong name and all – appreciates the support given to the local people here.
Great job !!! Thank you.
You are the glue that held it all together, Jody, take a well deserved bow!
Yikes, I can’t take all the credit here as citizens across Southern Oregon and even some from other places did contribute to our Coalition funds that have been held by SOPIP and FLOW that paid for this appeal. The citizens mostly in Southern Oregon and their time and generosity are what have made this fight so successful! Citizens Against LNG would be nothing without them.
You are right about the Sierra Club. We don’t know what they do.