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Commissioners press federal offices for Coast Guard restaffing, cite shoaling and dredging needs
Summary
Commissioner Olinger reported a federal-level outreach campaign pushing for seasonal or permanent restaffing of the Coast Guard station at Rogue River/Gold Beach; he said shoaling, dredging and coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers are major obstacles.
Commissioner Olinger told the Curry County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 16 that a recent meeting with U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest District representatives and congressional staff has intensified local efforts to restore Coast Guard coverage to the Rogue River/Gold Beach area.
Olinger said representatives from the Coast Guard mostly listened to the county’s case and indicated that any staffing decisions would need directives from Coast Guard leadership in Washington, D.C. He said staff from Oregon’s U.S. senators’ offices and from Congresswoman Val Hoyle’s office participated in the call and will follow up at the federal level.
Olinger said the primary operational obstacle is shoaling in the Rogue River’s bar that has limited safe access to the station’s dock. He said the Army Corps of Engineers must work with the Coast Guard to perform dredging outside the federal navigable channel; the county plans to compile aerial photos, incident data and other documentation to provide to federal lawmakers.
“The main gravel bar that's just about pinched off their access to get to their dock is gonna need to be dug out,” Olinger said, describing required cooperation between the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers. He urged boaters, commercial fishermen and local agencies to report incidents and close calls to create a data record that he said the Coast Guard needs.
Olinger also said the county was advised to contact the local Coast Guard Auxiliary and the state marine board for additional safety and outreach support. He said county representatives will continue to press the federal offices and to gather local data to support a case for re-establishing coverage.
Why it matters: Restoring Coast Guard presence affects search-and-rescue capacity and marine safety for the local fishing and boating community. County officials said federal-level action and dredging work will be required before the Coast Guard can re-station boats at the local dock.
