News Release from Oregon Dept. of State Lands
August 2nd, 2022 4:11 PM

CHARLESTON, Ore. – The State Land Board will meet on Tuesday, August 9 at the South Slough National Estuarine National Research Reserve Visitor Center. 

Agenda items the Land Board will consider include:    

• Appointment of Dr. Karina Nielsen to the Oregon Ocean Science Trust. Dr. Nielsen, the director of Oregon Sea Grant, has extensive experience in coastal zone research and environmental monitoring, working with researchers and communities to develop evidence-based understanding of stewardship approaches, and competitive grant program processes. Dr. Nielsen has been nominated to fill a mid-term vacancy. The appointment would be effective immediately and expire on December 31, 2023.
  

• Management of school forestlands near Klamath Falls. Management costs are exceeding revenue produced by nearly 7,000 acres of school forestlands in southern Oregon. Transferring management of these forestlands from the Department of Forestry to the Department of State Lands would save the Common School Fund up to $200,000 annually. The Land Board will consider transferring management of 4,907 acres to DSL, with 1,920 acres remaining under ODF management until upcoming timber sales are completed.
  

• Clarifying land ownership along the Willamette River in Benton County. The people of Oregon own the beds and banks of the state’s navigable rivers. When river channels gradually move over time, ownership of former riverbed and bank areas can be unclear. An exchange of quitclaim deeds is proposed to clarify ownership for the state and private landowners on the Willamette River and Ingram Slough in Monroe.
  

• A permanent easement request from Clatsop County Public Works for the Youngs River Road Bridge. The bridge, which the county is proposing to replace, crosses the Klaskanine River and requires an easement for use of the publicly owned waterway.

The Land Board will also hear an update on DSL’s plan to remove abandoned and derelict vessels from Oregon waterways over the next three years.  

Meeting Details and Agenda 
The meeting will be held:

Tuesday, August 9 
10 a.m.
South Slough Reserve Visitor Center 
61907 Seven Devils Road, Charleston

The full meeting agenda and materials are available on the Department of State Lands website. The meeting will be livestreamed to the DSL YouTube channel. 

The public may submit written testimony or sign up to provide spoken testimony during the meeting. Spoken testimony may be provided in person or by video or phone. The deadline to sign up to testify is 10 a.m. on Monday, August 8. Testimony information is available here. 

If you need assistance to participate in this meeting due to a disability, please contact Arin Smith at 503-986-5224 or arin.n.smith@dsl.oregon.gov at least two working days prior to the meeting. 

Visitors are not permitted to bring backpacks, bags, or large purses into the South Slough Reserve Visitor Center prior to, during, or following the Land Board meeting. Purses, medical bags, and diaper bags are permitted, but may be subject to inspection by the Oregon State Police. 

About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and State Treasurer Tobias Read. Established by the Oregon Constitution in 1859, the Land Board oversees the state’s Common School Fund. The Department of State Lands is the Land Board’s administrative agency, managing the lands and resources that help fund Oregon’s public schools and protecting the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide.

About South Slough Reserve: South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is a protected natural area and center for coastal education, research, stewardship, and training. Located along the Coos Estuary on the south coast of Oregon, South Slough Reserve manages and studies nearly 7,000 acres of wetlands, forests, and riparian areas. Designated in 1974 as the first unit of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, South Slough Reserve is a leader in improving understanding of estuaries and coastal watersheds. The Reserve is managed in partnership by the Department of State Lands and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Contact Info:
Ali Ryan Hansen, DSL Communications Manager
ali.r.hansen@dsl.oregon.gov
503-510-6860 (cell)