Marine board makes a balanced decision

Good things can happen when controversial issues like commercial jet boat operations on the Upper Rogue River are taken up and decided in a civil manner.

After months of public participation including submission of letters and personal testimonies at open hearings, the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) ,whose members are appointed by the governor, adopted a rule by unanimous vote that was reported on in the Rogue Valley Times edition published Jan. 29.

It appears that two members with local connections close to the ground crafted the rule and produced a balanced, historically sensitive resolution to the issue.

There had been a gentleman’s agreement of sorts for years that jet boats and sleds would not travel upstream of the bridge at TouVelle State Park. Now, that condition has been made into a rule such that no commercial jet boats can run trips above the Table Rock Bridge during their season, from the end of May into early September.

You can read other parts of the rule in the news report. The bottom line is the OSMB took seriously all the public participation on this highly charged and often personal matter. The result shows that participatory democracy can work.

Stephen C. Haskell / Ashland