Boaters sought for marine board advisory teams

Published 12:00 am Monday, July 14, 2014

Boaters who want to have a say in issues facing Oregon’s waterways are invited to join one of the Oregon State Marine Board’s boating advisory teams.

The advisory teams make recommendations to the agency on issues related to boating and are made up of between 10 and 15 members from around the state, according to a release from the Oregon State Marine Board. The teams meet about twice a year and sometimes meet by telephone or webinar, depending upon the issues.

The teams do not make decisions and do not participate in the formal hearings the board must conduct. Instead, they represent the state’s boaters and provide insight on issues that take place on the water.

The board is recruiting members for four teams:

• Cruising, which includes yachting, sailing and runabouts.

• Watersports, which include wakeboarding, waterskiing, sailboarding, motorboat racing, personal watercraft and towed devices.

• Outdoor sportsmen, which includes anglers and hunters who use boats during their activities.

• Paddlesports, new members of which will be recruited next summer.

Team meetings last between two and four hours and begin with topics like safety, boater conflict, trends and issues with law enforcement and education. The meetings will also feature time to discuss new issues identified by team members and marine board staffers, as well as updates on issues boaters have brought to the attention of the marine board.

Those interested in participating are asked to complete a two-year term. For more information, go to the Marine Board’s website at www.boatoregon.com.

The application is online at www.oregon.gov/OSMB/Pages/BoatOregonAdvisoryTeams.aspx.

Applications are due July 31.

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