NORTH COAST COMMUNITIES FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION UPDATES

ODF Astoria District Records Request

Thank you for taking action to protect Mothball Hill, Davis Ridge, and Slough Hill from clearcutting. Since the launch of our petition in June 2024, we’ve gathered over 2,600 signatures demanding a halt to these sales. These neighboring parcels of public forestland in Clatsop County are just three of the fourteen clearcuts proposed by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Astoria District.

ODF relisted Mothball Hill as an “alternate” sale, meaning that the sale will be postponed temporarily. We recognize this as a small victory, and hope that it will help to fuel us as we continue to stand firm for our forests, drinking watersheds, and the people and wildlife that depend on them.

With your help, NCCWP has successfully raised the $900 needed to obtain records from ODF regarding all Astoria District Annual Operation Plans for fiscal year 2025, in addition to internal email conversations about these plans. ODF is a state agency, and we believe these records should be free and accessible to the public, but, sadly, this is not the case. We humbly thank you for your support in helping to pay for these documents, and will keep you updated once we actually obtain these records.

Appeal of Nedonna Wave PUD

Last summer, Oregon Shores filed an appeal with the Rockaway Beach City Council of the RB Planning Commission’s approval of a 30 unit-housing development in sensitive wetlands. In December, the City Council voted unanimously to deny Oregon Shores’ appeal. Fortunately, Oregon Shores has not given up, and has filed an appeal of that decision with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). They are receiving legal representation by The Crag Law Center. Generally, LUBA is obligated to render a decision within 78 days, so we expect to know their decision sometime in April. During this time, NCCWP is in the process of forming an adjunct group with the primary aim of actively opposing any other future developments that threaten the preservation of wetlands in Nedonna Beach. Lyndsey Matteson is working on forming this committee. The Nedonna Beach wetlands contain intact Sitka spruce, tidal marshes, as well as many types of birds, mammals, and invertebrates. It provides habitat for various fish, including Coho. And it provides DEQ-designated groundwater from backup wells that are used for drinking water by Rockaway Beach. Please contact Lyndsey Matteson Lyndsey.nccwp@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us.

Special thanks go to Anna Kaufman for her story and graphics about the barred owl. https://www.annakaufmanart.com/so/0bPIVMhZJ?languageTag=en

NCCWP Panel at PIELC 2025

Have you heard of the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC)? This free conference, hosted from Friday, February 28, through Sunday, March 2, is the oldest and largest environmental law conference on the planet. And it happens right here in Oregon annually at the University of Oregon in Eugene! No registration is required.

This year, NCCWP will be presenting a panel discussion on the first day of the conference, Friday, February 28, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the UO Law School, Room 184. Our panel, entitled “Oregon’s Drinking Water Crisis,” will consist of presentations by the following individuals:

Nancy Webster, NCCWP Co-founder
Inanna Hencke, UO graduate student in landscape architecture
Ernie Niemi, President of Natural Resource Economics
Deke Gundersen, Environmental scientist and toxicologist

Are you interested in attending PIELC 2025?

Let us know! We’d love to connect in Eugene, and are always looking for volunteers to help us with tabling and networking.

To learn more about PIELC, including the schedule of panels, visit https://www.pielc.org

NCCWP Event January 18

On January 18, NCCWP hosted a presentation by Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) students from the University of Oregon (UO). The presentation, entitled “Coastal Futures,” focused on climate change adaptation strategies for coastal communities in Oregon. It was led by Ignacio Lopez Buson, a UO Assistant Professor of Climate Change Resilience. There was a great turnout with over 90 people in attendance (and another 30 participating virtually). It was standing room only! The feedback we’ve received about it has been overwhelmingly positive. A video link of the event will be available soon.

Volunteer with/or Donate to NCCWP

As a grassroots citizens group, NCCWP depends on its supporters volunteering their time and/or funding to help with our work. We do have a small, part time staff, but we need you to help us. For more information, contact Lyndsey Matteson Lyndsey.nccwp@gmail.com or go to our web page volunteer link at https://forms.gle/zAXSZnYtv4hExkdq7 We appreciate your time and input! NCCWP’s work is volunteer driven.

Your donation, no matter how small, supports our efforts immensely. If you cannot donate at this time, consider sharing about us on social media, or with family and friends. If you would like to donate to NCCWP, you can learn more about donating, and how your donations are used, at the following link: https://healthywatershed.org/donate/. Or contact Nancy directly at rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com

Due to potentially inclement winter weather (and our full schedule), NCCWP has decided to cancel the Saturday, February 15, monthly meeting in Rockaway Beach. Please take this time to rest and recoup. We will see you soon!

Thank you so much for your time and commitment to preserving our drinking water ecosystems, and bolstering our incredible community on the North Coast. Please feel free to reach out at any time.

NCCWP wants no more logging and pesticide use in community water sources across all land ownership, and wants an end to pesticide applications near where people live, work and recreate. Safe drinking water and clean air are part of the public trust that we all are entitled to have. Please help North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection safeguard and restore our drinking watersheds. healthywatershed.org | www.facebook.com/NCCWATERSHEDPROTECTION

Contact information or to unsubscribe: rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com