The state of Oregon wants to hear from Jackson County residents and visitors about jet boats on the Rogue River and how the river in general should be used and managed upstream from near Gold Hill to the dam at Lost Creek Lake.

Four agencies that have been hearing concerns about jet boats have partnered with Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement organization, to take surveys and convene in-person gatherings to gauge public opinion about the boats, which are enjoyed by thousands every year and criticized by many.

About 14,000 people booked tours last year with Rogue Jet Boat Adventures, which operates on the river about 5 miles upstream and downstream of TouVelle State Recreation Site north of Medford. But riverfront property owners have organized an opposition campaign, citing concerns about safety, noise and riverbank damage, while conservationists have raised concerns about impacts to wildlife, fish and riverside habitat, although documentation of any actual harm caused by the boats is an open question.

Comments gathered in the coming months will be used to generate a report by August to help guide the four agencies, according to a news release issued Friday by Oregon’s Kitchen Table. Gatherings and surveys are expected to take place between mid-May and late June.

“After several years of hearing from some community members about conflicting uses of the Rogue River in a stretch roughly between the now-removed Gold Ray Dam and Lost Creek Dam, a collaboration of four state agencies — Oregon Department of State Lands, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Marine Board and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department — have come together to learn more about the community’s values, needs and concerns related to this stretch of the river,” the news release stated. “That input will inform the agencies’ decision-making now and in the future.”

There appears to be strong interest in the jet boat issue.

When Oregon State Parks conducted a survey in late 2022 about a possible jet boat concession at TouVelle, it received in excess of 1,600 responses, pro and con. The agency opted not to pursue a formal concession agreement, although Rogue Jet Boat Adventures still uses the park to load and unload passengers, just like any other boat operator.

It’s not clear how the state’s response to public comments gathered during the upcoming outreach effort might affect future operations of the jet boat company or other river users, including other jet boat operators who use the river for personal use. ODFW in November 2022, when the state parks department was considering a jet boat concession, suggested restrictions on boat size, the number of boats, and when and where they can operate.

Jon Ball, mayor of Shady Cove, is particularly concerned about the use of small personal jet boats near his community, although he also doesn’t like the tour boats operated by the company downstream of the city.

“I guess the first comment that comes to mind is, ‘It is about time,’” Ball said when contacted about the outreach effort. “As the only city or actual community above Gold Ray Dam’s location, we feel our voices should and need to be heard.

“After getting council’s approval we will do anything possible to host meetings and accommodate open communication with the four agencies to make sure our rafting and guiding businesses and residents have their voices heard.”

“I look forward to being part of the solution to keeping the Upper Rogue River a healthy ecosystem and safe environment for generations to come.”

The Gold Ray Dam site is a few miles upriver from Gold Hill and near Lower Table Rock. Rogue Jet Boat Adventures operates between that area and upriver to Rattlesnake Rapids, which is well downriver from Shady Cove and Dodge Bridge. Their boats don’t go anywhere near the city.

The company’s riverside Discovery Park is across the river from Lower Table Rock. It features a lake, picnic area and visitor facilities.

The company, in business for 12 years, last year ran three boats ranging in size from 18 to 25 passengers, with no more than 12 daily round-trips above TouVelle. Along the way, those trips pass by the Ken Denman Wildlife Area and a half-mile-long area of riverfront homes. The boats are blocked by Rattlesnake Rapids from going farther upstream, before they get to Dodge Bridge and Shady Cove. The river upstream of the bridge is where the most sensitive spring Chinook spawning habitat is located, according to ODFW.

Company co-owner Taylor Grimes declined to comment for this story, but he has defended his company’s record and questioned the evidence about his operations causing any environmental harm.

Sgt. Shawn Richards, longtime supervisor of the marine division of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, said a few months ago that he is unaware of any citations ever being issued against the company for how its pilots operate on the river. The company uses cameras with a 360-degree view to record all trips, and Richards said he would expect to view the company’s videos if ever there was need to settle a question.

It’s not clear if the upcoming public discussion will include evidence of harm.

Oregon’s Kitchen Table, which is a program of the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University, has been involved in outreach, collaboration building and dispute resolution involving complex issues, including resource management issues, according to Eliot Feenstra, a Josephine County resident who is managing the outreach project for the organization.

In a telephone conversation Friday, Feenstra said it’s still early, but that she wants to get the word out that the project has been launched. The Rogue Valley Times previously reported on jet boat issues and the fact that agencies were planning to work with the organization.

The news release formally announced the project’s launch, but didn’t specifically mention jet boats, although Feenstra said that’s what prompted the outreach effort.

“This effort was spurred by the controversy around jet boats,” she said.

Next steps she expects to take include initial conversations with community members about how to structure an outreach plan.

“We haven’t even started those initial conversations,” she said.

The organization wants to engage with a diverse audience, including people who typically might be hard to reach.

“We want this to be a really inclusive and broad effort,” Feenstra said. “There’s room for people to share their desires and vision and how resources should be managed.”

In the end, the conversation could serve to help coordinate and align various interests, according to Feenstra. In large part, the goal is to allow people to have their say.

“We’re showing up to listen and create ways to participate,” she said. “It’s really about creating better connections.”

Part of the hope is that people and organizations will convene their own gatherings and conversations and then share their observations. Also, Feenstra is open to suggestions about events and places where she could go to gather opinions.

“We really encourage people to organize,” she said. “We are really excited if people have suggestions about where we can show up.”

Information about meetings and how to participate in surveys has yet to be determined. More information about Oregon’s Kitchen Table is available online, at oregonskitchentable.org. Reach Feenstra via email at feen@pdx.edu.