There is no more critical estuarine resource in need of protection than eelgrass, the flowering aquatic plant that provides habitat, furnishes nutrients, filters sediment and pollution, and sequesters carbon. Protecting eelgrass beds, and places to which existing populations could spread as sea level rises, will be an important mission for Oregon Shores for years to come. This recording is from Thursday, Dec. 8 2022.
The presenter is Anu Sawkar, the attorney with the Crag Law Center with whom we collaborate in the Coastal Law Project. She will discuss this critical component of estuarine ecosystems, and explain the land use processes and other regulatory arenas in which citizens can get involved to demand stronger protection. She will place special emphasis on Yaquina Bay, where an update of the “estuary management plan” that governs that estuary is underway, and public involvement will soon be invited.
For information about Oregon Shores’ work to protect estuaries, and the current estuary planning processes in Yaquina Bay and Coos Bay, contact Phillip Johnson, (503) 754-9303, [email protected].
source