Yaqina Bay conservation
Yaquina Bay and the biodiversity it supports are the backbone of coastal culture, and a variety of local groups collaborate on the management and improvement of the bay and estuary. At the MidCoast Watersheds Council’s September presentation, representatives of several of these groups presented about recent work and management of these resources.
Presenters included Cheryl Horton (Estuary Program Manager with MCWC), Michael Moses Estuarine Resilience Coordinator with the Department of Land Conservation and Development), and Megan Hoff (Senior Planner with Lincoln County). They discussed upcoming marsh restoration work in the Yaquina estuary funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), the Estuary Resilience Planning Process (ERAP) that is slated to begin this fall in Lincoln County, and the multiyear effort to modernize the Yaquina Bay Estuary Management Plan to reflect current needs and plan for a future with sea level rise. These short presentations were followed by a panel discussion.
Presenters include:
Michael Moses, Estuarine Resilience Coordinator of the Department of Land Conservation and Development
In 2021, the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD)’s Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) began a two-year coordinated planning effort with stakeholders in Coos and Tillamook Counties to evaluate estuary-related resilience needs and identify opportunities for nature-based solutions. Building on this program, OCMP is expanding this work to Lincoln and Lane Counties next, starting in fall 2023.
Megan Hoff, Senior Planner with Lincoln County
The Yaquina Bay Estuary Management Plan (YBEMP) regulates estuarine resource conservation and development decisions in compliance with Statewide Planning Goal 16: Estuarine Resources. The YBEMP was adopted by Lincoln County in 1982 and is administered at the local level by Lincoln County, the City of Newport, and the City of Toledo for areas within their respective jurisdictions. Guided by a Steering Committee and an Advisory Group comprised of experts, stakeholders, and interested parties in the Yaquina Bay area, a detailed process has been undertaken to modernize and update the YBEMP over the last few years.
Cheryl Horton, Estuary Program Manager with the MidCoast Watersheds Council
The Oregon Central Coast Estuary Collaborative has been conducting estuary restoration for several years, and was recently rewarded a large sum of funds to design and implement several estuarine restoration projects in the Yaquina and Alsea estuaries.