State to hold rulemaking hearings in Salem
Public comment invited on permits for maintenance dredging, management of state-owned waterways, and recreational placer mining
The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) will hold formal hearings to seek public comments on three sets of administrative rules governing: 1) establishment of a new General Permit for Navigational Access Maintenance Dredging; 2) management of the state-owned waterway leasing program; and 3) and recreational placer mining.
May 17 – Maintenance Dredging
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
May 19 – Waterway Program
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
May 20 – Recreational Placer Mining
11:00 a.m. – Noon
The hearings will be held at the Department of State Lands, Land Board Room, 775 Summer St. NE, Salem.
The waterway rulemaking pertains to leases, licenses and registrations for structures and uses of state-owned submerged and submersible land. It also includes procedures for the recently approved Submerged Lands Enhancement Fund, enacted by House Bill 2463 in 2015.
The maintenance dredging rulemaking pertains to creating a removal-fill General Permit for routine maintenance dredging of existing marinas, boat basins, terminals and access channels for navigational access purposes.
Both sets of draft rules were developed with input from advisory committees composed of a diverse group of stakeholders.
The placer mining rulemaking will establish permanent rules to comply with a legislative moratorium (Senate Bill 838 in the 2013 session) on placer mining in Essential Salmon Habitat, effective January 2, 2016. DSL had adopted a temporary rule previously to comply with the legislation.
Members of the public who are unable to attend one of the hearings may send comments via mail or email during the public comment periods:
Maintenance Dredging: May 1 – May 31, 2016
Waterway Leasing Program: May 1 – June 7, 2016
Recreational Placer Mining: May 1 – 23, 2016
Email: rules@dsl.state.or.us; U.S. mail: Sabrina Foward, Rules Coordinator, Department of State Lands, 775 Summer Street NE, Suite 100, Salem, Oregon 97301-1279.
Additional information is on the DSL website under Rulemaking: http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Pages/Rulemaking-Activity.aspx
The Department of State Lands protects Oregon’s wetlands and waterways for their ecological functions and for the benefits they provide to the state’s economy and the well-being of Oregonians. The agency does this through administering the Removal-Fill Law, passed by the Oregon Legislature in 1967. The Department also protects public ownership rights of Oregon’s navigable and tidally influenced waterways by managing the use of state-owned land under rivers, lakes and the territorial sea.
More information
Kirk Jarvie – 503-986-5320; kirk.jarvie@state.or.us (dredging)
Nancy Pustis – 503-986-5308; nancy.pustis@state.or.us (waterways)
Eric Metz – 503-986-5266; eric.metz@state.or.us (placer mining)
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www.oregonstatelands.us
